PANAMA Metro has brought into service the branch of Line 2 from Corredor Sur to Aeropuerto, serving Tocumen International Airport.
The 2km addition to the network was formally opened by the president of Panama, Mr Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, accompanied by Panama Metro director general, Mr Héctor Ortega.
The airport branch has one intermediate station at ITSE, serving the Specialised Superior Technical Institute (ITSE), which has 5000 students, as well as the nearby National Institute of Vocational Training (INADEH).
During the opening ceremony on March 16, Cortizo Cohen said that the metro extension would be carrying thousands of passengers a day, serving the 100,000 residents of the Tocumen, Cabuya, La Siesta and Hacienda Santa Fe districts in the eastern sector of Panama City as well as tourists.
He added that the opening of the airport branch would generate major economic benefits for Panama, providing a boost for the tourist industry and business in general.
With the opening of the extension, Panama Metro points out that Panama has become the first country in Central America with a metro route connecting its principal international airport with the centre of the city it serves, and is now also one of the few cities in Latin America with such a link.
Civil works on the extension were undertaken by TSO and CIM under a contract worth $US 9.7m.
The government gave its approval in February 2020 for Panama Metro to award the contract to design, supply, install and test railway systems, undertaken by a joint venture including Alstom, CIM, Sofratesa, Thales and TSO.
At that time, completion of the airport extension was expected in February or March 2022, but trial operations did not start until October last year.
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