MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Porto Alegre's metro runs again after unprecedented floods

Capacity and service length have been reduced out of security concerns pending full repairs

Urban trains in Porto Alegre resumed operations this week, albeit on shortened routes, as the capital city of the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul slowly recovers from the unprecedented floods caused by rains way above average, Agencia Brasil reported. Convoy capacity was also cut down to 30,000 passengers from the usual 110,000 passengers on working days.

The emergency services operated by Empresa de Trensanos de Porto Alegre (Trensurb) linked 13 stations in five municipalities - Canoas, Esteio, Sapucaia do Sul, São Leopoldo, and Novo Hamburgo from 8 am to 6 pm daily on a 26-kilometer route with departures every 35 minutes, it was also explained.

Rides are free of charge for the time being because Trensurb's ticketing systems were also affected by the floods and are still inoperative, Agencia Brasil also said. The company hopes to have this problem solved in the next 30 days.

Provisional Measure 1.218/2024 issued by the Federal Government allocated an initial amount of R$ 164.3 million (US$ 31.32 million) for the resumption of the subway's operation.

Ministers Paulo Pimenta (Presidential Communications) and Waldez Góes (Integration and Regional Development) were aboard the first trip to restart the metro alongside Trensurb President Fernando Marroni.

“We're calling it the Humanitarian Rails, relieving the pressure on the metropolitan region's circulation and mobility system,” Marroni said.

“This is yet another achievement in restoring normalcy to essential services in Rio Grande do Sul,” Pimenta wrote on X.

Trensurb also said that of the company's five electricity substations, two - in Canoas and Porto Alegre - were still inoperable because they have been flooded and need to be repaired. The company also needs to recover stretches of tracks that have been flooded for several days.