Balbuena metro station

Balbuena metro station^{[lower-alpha 1]} is a station of the Mexico City Metro in Venustiano Carranza, Mexico City. It is an underground station with two side platforms, serving Line 1 (the Pink Line) between Moctezuma and Boulevard Puerto Aéreo metro stations. Balbuena metro station was inaugurated on 4 September 1969, and opened the following day, providing westward service toward Chapultepec and eastward service toward Zaragoza.

Balbuena
STC rapid transit
Station sign, 2012
General information
Location	Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza Venustiano Carranza, Mexico City Mexico
Coordinates	19°25′23″N 99°06′08″W
Owned by	Government of Mexico City
Operated by	Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC)
Line(s)	(Observatorio – Pantitlán)
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	Balbuena Various local bus service routes
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Status	In service
History
Opened	5 September 1969; 55 years ago (1969-09-05)
Key dates
11 July 2022 (2022-07-11)	Temporarily closed
29 October 2023 (2023-10-29)	Reopened
Passengers
2023	375,147[1]  76.64%
Rank	187/195[1]
Services
Preceding station Mexico City Metro Following station Moctezuma toward Observatorio Line 1 Boulevard Puerto Aéreo toward Pantitlán
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
Location Balbuena Location within Mexico City Area map and exits

The station services the colonias (neighborhoods) of Jardín Balbuena and Moctezuma 1ª sección, along Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza. Its pictogram features the silhouette of four flowers, each with four petals, which symbolize the Balbuena Garden in the neighborhood of the same name, and from which the station takes its name. The station facilities offer accessibility for people with disabilities, featuring elevators, escalators, tactile pavings and wheelchair ramps. Outside, the station includes a transport hub servicing local bus routes.

In 2019, Balbuena station had an average daily ridership of 13,431 passengers, ranking it the 133rd busiest station in the network and the second least used on the line. Balbuena metro station was closed from July 2022 to October 2023 due to modernization works on the tunnel and the line's technical equipment.

Location and layout

The northern entrance in 2020

Balbuena is an underground metro station situated on Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza, in Venustiano Carranza, Mexico City.^[2][3] The station serves two Colonias (neighborhoods), Jardín Balbuena and Moctezuma 1ª sección. The station's pictogram depicts silhouettes of four flowers, each with four petals, that symbolize the nearby garden of the same name. This garden, in turn, was named after Bernardo de Balbuena, a Spanish poet known for his work "La grandeza mexicana" ("The Grandeur of Mexico").^[2]

Balbuena metro station has two exits that connect to Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza. The northern exit is near Calle 17 in Colonia Moctezuma 1ª sección and the southern one at Avenida de la Portilla in Colonia Jardín Balbuena.^[2] The station offers a disabled-accessible service with elevators, escalators, wheelchair ramps and tactile pavings.^[2][4][5]

Within the metro system, the station lies between Moctezuma and Boulevard Puerto Aéreo.^[2] The area is serviced by a Centro de transferencia modal (CETRAM), which functions as a transport hub for connecting various modes of transportation.^[6]

History and construction

Line 1 of the Mexico City Metro was built by Ingeniería de Sistemas de Transportes Metropolitano, Electrometro and Cometro, the latter being a subsidiary of Empresas ICA.^[7] Its first section was inaugurated on 4 September 1969, running from Chapultepec to Zaragoza metro stations. It opened to the general public the following day.^[8] The tunnel between Balbuena and Boulevard Puerto Aéreo spans 595 meters (1,952 ft) in length, while the section between Balbuena and Moctezuma measures 703 meters (2,306 ft).^[9]

Balbuena station underwent renovation works that included the installation of antibacterial porcelain sheeting and LED lighting technology. Additionally, leaks were sealed, and electrical panels were replaced as part of the upgrade efforts.^[10] The station was closed on 11 July 2022 for modernization work on the tunnel and technical equipment of the line.^[11][12] After fifteen months of renovations, authorities reopened Balbuena station on 29 October 2023.^[13] Excélsior reported in July 2024 that all the modernized stations had leaks of varying dimensions, with containers visible under the leaks at Balbuena station. Authorities had stated they would seal these leaks during the 2022 modernization repairs.^[14]

Incidents

On 20 January 2021, the station experienced a sewage flood due to a sump system failure attributed to power outages caused by the Central Control Center fire that occurred two weeks earlier.^[15]

Ridership

According to data provided by authorities, before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transport, commuters averaged per year between 12,400 and 15,700 daily entrances between 2014 and 2019; the station had a ridership of 4,902,639 passengers in 2019,^[16] marking an increase of 111,634 passengers compared to 2018.^[17] In 2019 specifically, Balbuena metro station ranked as the 133rd busiest station out of the system's 195 stations and was the second least used on the line.^[16]

Annual passenger ridership
Year	Ridership	Average daily	Rank	% change	Ref.
2023	375,147	1,027	187/195	−76.64%	[1]
2022	1,606,016	4,400	164/195	−28.50%	[1]
2021	2,246,042	6,153	131/195	−17.85%	[18]
2020	2,734,008	7,469	125/195	−44.23%	[19]
2019	4,902,639	13,431	133/195	+2.33%	[16]
2018	4,791,005	13,126	130/195	+5.27%	[17]
2017	4,551,153	12,468	132/195	−7.92%	[20]
2016	4,942,850	13,505	125/195	−3.00%	[21]
2015	5,095,489	13,960	118/195	−6.38%	[22]
2014	5,442,959	14,912	109/195	−5.16%	[23]

Notes

1. Estación del Metro Balbuena. Spanish pronunciation: [balˈβwena] ^ⓘ

References

1. "Afluencia de estación por línea (2022–2023)" [Station traffic by line (2022–2023)] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2024. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
2. "Balbuena" (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
3. Zamarrón, Israel (2 September 2021). "En declive y con 52 años, la Línea 1 del Metro apunta hacia los trenes autónomos" [Declining and 52 years old, Line 1 of the Metro is aiming for autonomous trains]. Forbes (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
4. "Accessibilidad en estaciones" [Stations accessibility] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
5. @MetroCDMX (13 August 2024). "Las guías podotáctiles son una herramienta de apoyo y accesibilidad para las personas con discapacidad visual; la red cuenta con este tipo de guías en las estaciones de mayor afluencia, así como en las estaciones en operación de la Línea 1; por lo que se exhorta a las personas usuarias a evitar obstruirlas o sentarse sobre éstas. El Metro es de todos, cuídalo" [Tactile guides are a support and accessibility tool for people with visual disabilities. The network features these guides in high-traffic stations, as well as in the operational stations of Line 1. Users are encouraged to avoid obstructing or sitting on them. The Metro belongs to everyone; please take care of it] (Tweet) (in Spanish) – via Twitter.
6. "Centros de Transferencia Modal (CETRAM): Alcaldía Venustiano Carranza" [Modal Transfer Centers: Venustiano Carranza Borough] (in Spanish). Órgano Regulador de Transporte. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
7. "Línea 1, Ciudad de México" [Line 1, Mexico City] (in Spanish). iNGENET Infraestructura. 20 July 2009. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
8. "Los primeros usuarios del Metro" [The first Metro passengers]. El Universal (in Spanish). 5 September 2019. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
9. "Longitud de estación a estación por línea" [Length from station to station by line] (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
10. Valdez, Ilich (10 April 2016). "Metro lanza licitación para modernizar 4 estaciones de Línea 1" [Metro launches bidding to modernize 4 stations of Line 1]. Milenio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
11. González, Juan Pablo (23 September 2021). "Cerrarán parcialmente la Línea 1 del Metro durante el primer semestre del 2022" [Line 1 of the Metro will be partially closed during the first half of 2022]. Noticieros Televisa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
12. "La L1 del Metro de CDMX cerrará de Pantitlán a Salto del Agua, desde el 11 de julio" [Line 1 of the Mexico City Metro will close from Pantitlán to Salto del Agua starting July 11]. La Lista (in Spanish). 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
13. De la Rosa, Yared (29 October 2023). "Con 7 meses de retraso, reabren Línea 1 del Metro; sólo se podrá ingresar con tarjeta" [With a 7-month delay, Line 1 of the Metro reopens; entry will only be allowed with a card]. Forbes (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
14. López, Jonás (27 July 2024). "Nueva L1, con goteras y humedad" [New Line 1, with leaks and humidity]. Excélsior (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
15. Pantoja, Sara (20 January 2021). "La estación Balbuena del Metro se inunda con aguas negras (Video)" [Balbuena metro station floods with sewage (Video)]. Proceso (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
16. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2019" [Station traffic by line in 2019] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2020. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
17. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2018" [Station traffic by line in 2018] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
18. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2021" [Station traffic by line in 2021] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2022. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
19. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2020" [Station traffic by line in 2020] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2021. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
20. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2017" [Station traffic by line in 2017] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
21. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2016" [Station traffic by line in 2016] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2017. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
22. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2015" [Station traffic by line in 2015] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2016. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
23. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2014" [Station traffic by line in 2014] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2015. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

External links

• Media related to Balbuena (station) at Wikimedia Commons
• "Metro Balbuena". At the Official Guide to Mexico City.