THE operator of Line 1 of the metro network in the Peruvian capital Lima has unveiled a programme to increase capacity on the 34.6km elevated line between Villa El Salvador and San Juan de Lurigancho. This aims to accommodate an increase in daily ridership from around 600,000 passengers to over 1 million.

The proposal will be implemented through an addendum to the existing concession contract. The line is operated by Tren Urbano de Lima under a 30-year concession awarded in 2011 as public-private partnership (PPP) with the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC).

Tren Urbano general manager, José Zárate, cited sustained annual growth in ridership of around 11% and future traffic resulting from interchange with lines 2, 3 and 4 in the future as key drivers. “We have reached a point where the system must incorporate new technology and more trains if we are to maintain service quality,” Zárate said.

The first phase of the plan is divided into three main stages:

  • Stage 1: reduce peak-hour headways to 2min 30sec, enabling daily ridership to reach approximately 800,000
  • Stage 2: further reduce service intervals to 2 minutes, supporting traffic of over 1 million passengers a day, and
  • Stage 3: introduce a new CBTC signalling system to deliver higher frequencies and greater operational reliability.

Complementary works include installing platform screen doors at key stations and improvements to ticketing systems and passenger-flow management.

The concessionaire says that the first phase of the programme involves the most extensive work, while the second phase would enable headways to be reduced to as low as 1min 30sec. Local media reports estimate the total investment required for the full programme at $US 2.7bn, including around 31 new trains, electrical upgrades, depot expansion and station enhancements.

The second phase requires an additional contractual amendment which is currently being examined by MTC and the Peruvian government’s private investment agency, Proinversión. The government expects to finalise the addendum process next year, according to Proinversión president, Luis del Carpio. “It is essential that Line 1 expands,” he said. “The system is approaching saturation and the upgrade cannot be delayed.”

Line 1 will become the interchange spine for future metro lines now under development in Lima, and regulators have warned that without increasing capacity, overcrowding and operational constraints will intensify, particularly once Line 2 begins partial operations.

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