Balderas metro station

"Metro Balderas" redirects here. For the Rockdrigo González song, see Metro Balderas (song).

Balderas is an underground station on the Mexico City Metro.^[2][3] It is located in the Cuauhtémoc borough in the center of Mexico City.^[2] It is a transfer station along Lines 1 and 3.^[2][4] Since 9 November 2023, the Line 1 station has remained closed for modernization work on the tunnel and the line's technical equipment.^[5] The Line 1 station was reopened on 13 September 2024.^[6]

Balderas
STC rapid transit
A NE-92 arriving to Line 1 platforms.
General information
Location	Avenida Balderas Cuauhtémoc Mexico City Mexico
Coordinates	19.42744°N 99.149036°W / 19.42744; -99.149036
Operated by	Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC)
Line(s)	(Observatorio - Pantitlán) (Indios Verdes - Universidad)
Platforms	4 side platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	Balderas Balderas stop (temporary)
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Platform levels	2
Parking	No
Bicycle facilities	No
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Status	In service
History
Opened	4 September 1969 20 November 1970
Key dates
9 November 2023 (2023-11-09)	Temporarily closed
13 September 2024 (2024-09-13)	Reopened
Passengers
2023	Total: 16,067,800 9,030,215[1] 7,037,585[1]  21.82%
Rank	30/195[1] 57/195[1]
Services
Preceding station Mexico City Metro Following station Cuauhtémoc toward Observatorio Line 1 Salto del Agua toward Pantitlán Juárez toward Indios Verdes Line 3 Niños Héroes toward Universidad
Route map Legend Observatorio yard Observatorio Tacubaya Juanacatlán Chapultepec Sevilla Insurgentes Cuauhtémoc Balderas Salto del Agua Isabel la Católica Pino Suárez Merced Candelaria San Lázaro Moctezuma Balbuena Boulevard Puerto Aéreo Gómez Farías Zaragoza Zaragoza workshops Pantitlán This diagram: view talk edit Legend Ticomán workshops Indios Verdes Deportivo 18 de Marzo Potrero La Raza Tlatelolco Guerrero Hidalgo Juárez Balderas Niños Héroes / Poder Judicial CDMX Hospital General Centro Médico Etiopía / Plaza de la Transparencia Eugenia División del Norte Zapata Coyoacán Viveros / Derechos Humanos Miguel Ángel de Quevedo Copilco Universidad This diagram: view talk edit
Location Balderas Location within Mexico City Area map

Name and iconography

The station receives its name from the nearby Balderas street, which in turn was named in honor of Lucas Balderas, a Mexican military officer that participated in the Mexican–American War and was killed at the Battle of Molino del Rey in 1847. It is said that his last words were "poor country of mine".^[7][8]

The station pictogram depicts the colonial-era cannon preserved on the nearby Plaza de La Ciudadela.^[2][3] The cannon is a reminder of the Ten Tragic Days, which was a period a little bit longer than 10 days in which a coup the democratically elected government of Francisco I. Madero took place. This chapter would end with the murder of President Madero and Vice-President José María Pino Suárez, as well as the rise to the presidency of Victoriano Huerta.^[2]

General information

Nearby Metro Balderas are some interesting places, like La Ciudadela market, filled with Mexican handicrafts,^[9] the José Vasconcelos Central Library of Mexico City,^[10] and facilities of broadcaster Televisa. Next to the library lies a tianguis (street market) full of books old and new, comics, collectibles, etc.

This station has an information desk and facilities for the disabled.^[2] It also displays a plaque unveiled on 19 September 2004, celebrating Mexican rock musician Rockdrigo González, killed exactly 19 years earlier in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake and composer of a song titled "Metro Balderas". In September 2011 a real-size bronze statue of Rockdrigo was also unveiled inside the station.^[11]

Although this station is totally underground, cellular phone signals (GSM and TDMA for several providers) are able to reach the platform. The station also has charging stations for mobile devices.^[12]

History

Metro Balderas was opened on 4 September 1969, as part of the first stage of Line 1, going from Chapultepec to Zaragoza.^[13]

The station became the network's second transfer station, when the first stretch of Line 3, from Tlatelolco to Hospital General, was opened in November 1970.^[13]

Incidents

On Friday, 18 September 2009 a mass shooting occurred on the platform. A man was tagging one of the station walls with a marker, therefore, he was confronted by a police officer. He reacted by taking out a gun and killing the officer and a construction worker who tried to disarm him, he also left five more wounded.^[14] The man later claimed that he committed the killings "in the name of God" and was sentenced to 151 years in prison.^[15]

The man who tried to disarm him was Esteban Cervantes Barrera.

On 29 December 2018, a woman gave birth to a child inside the station, at the Line 1 platforms, helped by personnel of the Mexican Red Cross.^[16]

Nearby

• Biblioteca de México, public library.
• Escuela Libre de Derecho, law school.
• Televisa Chapultepec headquarters.
• Parque Tolsá, park.
• Centro Escolar Revolución, elementary school.

Exits

Line 1

• North: Tolsá street and Balderas, Centro
• South: Avenida Niños Héroes and Avenida Chapultepec, Colonia Doctores

Line 3

• East: Avenida Arcos de Belén, Colonia Doctores
• Southeast: Avenida Niños Héroes and Dr. Río de la Loza street, Colonia Doctores

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/Entrance
B1	Mezzanine for platform connection	Fare control/Ticket windows
	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Westbound	← toward Observatorio (Cuauhtémoc)
	Eastbound	→ toward Pantitlán (Salto del Agua) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right
B2	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Northbound	← toward Indios Verdes (Juárez)
	Southbound	→ toward Universidad (Niños Héroes) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right

Ridership

Annual passenger ridership (Line 1) Year Ridership Average daily Rank  % change Ref. 2023 9,030,215 24,740 30/195 +26.49% [1] 2022 7,139,186 19,559 46/195 +102.11% [1] 2021 3,532,268 9,677 87/195 −14.52% [17] 2020 4,132,493 11,290 87/195 −47.19% [18] 2019 7,825,656 21,440 81/195 +4.21% [19] 2018 7,509,318 20,573 86/195 −3.70% [20] 2017 7,797,786 21,363 78/195 −4.89% [21] 2016 8,198,425 22,400 78/195 −1.70% [22] 2015 8,340,249 22,849 72/195 +2.80% [23] 2014 8,113,226 22,228 74/195 −1.12% [24]

Annual passenger ridership (Line 3) Year Ridership Average daily Rank  % change Ref. 2023 7,037,585 19,281 57/195 +16.32% [1] 2022 6,050,356 16,576 63/195 +368.70% [1] 2021 1,290,882 3,526 162/195 −16.14% [17] 2020 1,539,347 4,205 164/195 −45.80% [18] 2019 2,840,045 7,780 170/195 +0.02% [19] 2018 2,839,394 7,779 169/195 −0.48% [20] 2017 2,852,962 7,816 167/195 −2.89% [21] 2016 2,937,959 8,027 167/195 +3.74% [22] 2015 2,832,055 7,759 156/195 −10.79% [23] 2014 3,174,677 8,697 148/195 +8.92% [24]

Gallery

• 
  Entrance to the station in the corner of Avenida Chapultepec and Av. Niños Héroes
• 
  Entrance sign to the station
• 
  Line 3 platforms
• 
  Commemorative plaque to Rockdrigo González
• 
  Statue honoring Rockdrigo