Cariri Metro

Cariri Metro (Portuguese: Metrô do Cariri, though it is technically not a metro system; also known as Portuguese: VLT do Cariri) is a 13.9-kilometer (8.6 mi), nine station diesel commuter rail line (sometimes referred to as a light rail (VLT) line^[1]) in the Cariri region of southern Ceará state, Brazil.^[4] It is operated by Companhia Cearense de Transportes Metropolitanos, which also operates the Fortaleza Metro. It is expected to transport about 5,000 passengers per day.^[4] The line went into operation on an experimental basis on 1 December 2009, and went into regular service in 2010.^[3]

Cariri Metro
Overview
Native name	Metrô do Cariri VLT do Cariri
Locale	Crato–Juazeiro, Ceará, Brazil
Transit type	Commuter rail (or light rail[1])
Number of lines	1
Number of stations	9[2]
Daily ridership	1,700 (daily)[2]
Website	VLT do Cariri
Operation
Began operation	1 December 2009[3]
Operator(s)	Metrofor
Number of vehicles	Diesel light rail vehicles
Headway	40 minutes (weekdays)
Technical
System length	13.6 km (8.5 mi)[2]
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge[4]
System map Legend Crato Padre Cícero Muriti São José Crato Juazeiro do Norte Escola Padre Antônio Vieira Teatro São Pedro Juazeiro Fátima Proposed extension to Barbalha

This rail line connects the cities of Crato and Juazeiro do Norte together, and is operated with diesel light rail vehicles (LRVs). The initially estimated cost for implementation of this project was R$ 13,223,522; the cost that was later revised to R$ 25,190,720.^[5]

The commuter rail system was implemented on a 13.9-kilometer (8.6 mi)^[4] existing railway line, where the rail was adjusted to allow for the acquisition of greater speeds between stations. Five stations were built in Juazeiro do Norte, and four in Crato.

In the future, it is planned to extend this rail line to the city of Barbalha, south of Juazeiro do Norte.

History

In late 2006 Lúcio Alcântara, the then-Governor of Ceará announced the construction of a passenger rail line in Cariri, which was later renamed Metrô do Cariri. The inauguration was scheduled for February 2007, but in January 2007 work on the line was halted due to the change in state government, and was only resumed in June 2007.

The Metro Cariri was officially opened for test service on 1 December 2009, and after further testing was opened for full commercial operation in 2010.

Operations

Line

The Cariri Metro's single passenger rail line, called the Central Line, serves a total of nine stations, and runs over a total length of 13.6 kilometers (8.5 mi), consisting entirely of an at-grade rail route.^[2][4] The gauge of this line is meter gauge (1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)). The frequency of trains on the line is every 40 minutes on weekdays, and every one hour and 20 minutes on Saturdays.^[6]

A second line for the system, to be called the South Line, is in the planning stages.

Rolling stock

The fleet generally consists of a LRV trainset composition which is formed by two air-conditioned cars,^[4] and which are capable of carrying up to 330 passengers per train. While the vehicles used by the Cariri Metro have a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph), they operate with a maximum speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) on the rail line itself.^[4] The LRVs operated on this line are diesel hydraulic powered.

The trainsets are built by Bom Sinal Indústria e Comércio Ltda., a company established in the municipality of Barbalha. LRVs are stored in a depot in Crato.

During festival season, the number of cars is doubled due to demand.

See also

• Teresina Metro

References

1. "Metrô do Cariri starts trials". Railway Gazette International. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
2. "VLT do Cariri".
3. "O Projeto" [The Project] (in Portuguese). Metrô de Fortaleza - METROFOR. Archived from the original on 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
4. "Características Físicas e Operacionais" [Physical and Operational Characteristics] (in Portuguese). METROFOR. Archived from the original on 2014-02-19. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
5. "Metrô do Cariri" [Cariri Metro] (in Portuguese). Governo do Estado do Ceará. 16 March 2010. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
6. "Horário das Viagens e Mapa das Linhas" [Timetables and Maps of Lines] (in Portuguese). Metrô de Fortaleza - METROFOR. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23. Retrieved 2014-06-21.

External links

• Official website (in Portuguese)