Services operate on the initial four-station section between 06.00 and 00.00 and travel is currently free-of-charge.

When all three phases are completed, the line will run for 13.4km from an interchange with the metro South Line and bus terminal at Parangaba to the northern district of Mucuripe, with 10 stations serving 22 neighbourhoods. The line will run at-grade for 12km, with a 1.4km elevated section.

Santana says work on the two remaining phases will be intensified with the aim of completing the Reais 450m ($US 142m) project by the end of 2018.

Ridership is forecast to reach 90,000 passengers per day when all three phases are operational.