This line is literally an extension of the metro, continuing down the same street. As someone who used to live in China and still watches Chinese metro videos, the motor sound and part of the door chime sounded exactly like a Chinese metro train (they're very similar), which felt really weird.
@@noahottin4015 Trains of Chinese origin are becoming more common in Mexico. Line 4 of the Guadalajara Light Rail and many lines of the Metrorrey (Monterrey metro) use trains made by CRRC.
@@trained_4_life in terms of density of the network, New York City. Almost 400km of network and 472 stations for a city for 8.3m people. In Mexico City, it's half of both for a city with 9.2m people. And that's not even counting the periphery, which are mostly poor suburbs where people go to sleep, rather than standalone cities. Our network should have kept growing steadily in the last two decades.
Haha! I get it. It can be hard to get used to letters like this. Many of my English speaking friends battle with this, especially with the “ll”, which is almost like a “y”.
I used Tren Ligero daily Back in 2023, the newer chinese trains are a very good improvement. They use the handgrips to put goverment ads (like promoting the CDMX App, Zócalo concerts, promoting the use of charging the MI Card with NFC etc) The Main Problem of Tren Ligero is the Train crossing with returns for vehicles. There have been a lot of collisions between cars and buses with the train
South of Estadio Azteca the trip is noticeably slower with multiple level crossings, without barriers at some busy intersections. It's still a comfortable and reliable service. @Thom-TRA
Absolutely loving your series on CDMX, truly makes me want to prioritize visiting from my home near Chicago! So much interesting public transit sweetens the deal for sure. And here's to the axolotl! The drawing you had pop up had better show up on a campaign haha
Wow the CDMX Metro has to be one of the most expanding yet reliable PT in North America. Even it's MILES or KMs longer than in Indonesia, though we share simillarities with having a Metro, Light Rail, and the long BRT. Though the Metro need some modernization and further safety improvs, I'm impressed. Gracias/Bedankt Thom!
Also, I wish you could stay there longer. In this short video, I already found two interesting topics that are not related to the LRT line itself: the trolleybus line and a Volkswagen beetle car.
Some of Mexico City's streetcars came from Twin Cities Transit (Minneapolis/St. Paul. Mn.). They bought them when the Twin Cities went from streetcars to busses in the very early 1950's . The pale yellow car that goes by at 5:30 into the video looks like an old TCT car..
I love light rail! I understand buses are cheaper but I just wish they hadn't done away with the tram or had at least expanded it to BRT lines that are now very busy and very slow, such as the red line.
I like the doors on the train. They are not doors that push out and I don’t think I’ve seen a light rail line with those kind of doors. the CRRC trains’ doors definitely sound and look like the ones on Guangzhou metro
A few years ago, the system underwent major maintenance, rails and the catenary system were replaced. For the 2026 World Cup, the remodeling of the CETRAM (Modal Transfer Center) in Tasqueña is also expected, which will seek to become the "Pantitlán of Electric Transports." Great video btw
The calzada de Tlalpan has been one of the major avenues in the city since precolumbian times, as it was part of the urban layout of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. Always busy!
Yes the handgrips are used for advertising. You can find PSA by the transit agency, advertising by car brands, supermarkets, medical companies or food and drink in them.
¡Gracias amigo! Great video. The interesting fact too about Calzada Tlapan, it used to be a Causeway during the Mexica (Aztec) times. Its one of the oldest throughways in Mexico City. Also, the oldest "Red Light District". The term "Acahueta" or Madam in Nahualt, came from there too. Which is the reason why I'm used to seeing "Mamacitas Señoritas if someone goes "Calzada Tlapan" on YT 😅. (Mexican habit, we enjoy a little joke on our fellow Gringos). ¡Saludos desde Chicago!
I found this quite an informative video! Now, I know more about the _Tren_ _Ligero_ of Xochimilco, as well as the blue trolleys that they use (whose paint scheme I like a lot). I didn't know the CRRC cars also have given names. Also, fun fact: I myself translated into English the Wikipedia pages for several of the _Tren_ _Ligero_ stations, including Tasqueña to La Virgen. I'll translate some more soon. Thanks for the video!
I sometimes took this train to get to my house from the University (Tec de monterrey) I liked it until it was rush hour at night. At one time, the line broke down and had to take a bus to my house.
You have to be careful there as Mexican cities can have a lot of bus stations and if you get the wrong one the right one might be pretty far away! Sometimes they are roughly based on the direction the buses go but sometimes on the companies that use them.With Mexico City i think that it's more direction based but with Acapulco it seemed to be based on the companies.
@@Thom-TRA and an easy search on the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) will show you that its a state, like the other 31 states that make up mexico
Expanding on that, the official term is a federal entity, article 44 of the mexican constituton states that Mexico City is a federal entity. Legally it is the same as the 32 others, and in other government dependencies, it's recognized as such
@project_sia it is a district with state-like autonomy but that is still explicitly not a state like the others. Basic knowledge, just because you make up facts doesn't make them true.
YES, that's exactly the purpose: there's a super thin gap between the 2 acryllic plates above the handgrip, a sheet of paper, cut to the exact size, with the ad printed on it, is inserted there. Some bus companies in MX city have tried pushing for those handgrips - but i guess the conversion rate from "ad seen => increase in purchase" is really really low, because very few bus lines have them, and most of the time they don't run ads
Hola, amigo Trains Are Awesome, te invito que visites la ciudad de Guadalajara, Estado de Jalisco país México, ahí tenemos 3 Líneas de Tren Ligero y 2 Líneas de BRT y 1 Línea de Trolebús, para que des tu opinión. Saludos
That's funny, the CRRC trains using both European and Chinese door chimes at the same time and having a propulsion that sounds similar to a lot of German trains
I have some news, there will be a remodeling for two reasons. The first is that a new cable car line will be built that will start from the Xochimilco terminal. The second reason is because the Azteca Stadium is the venue for the 2026 World Cup. New trains will be purchased. There is talk of expanding the size of the station platforms, to accommodate double-coupled trains, and to increase the capacity to 4 cars. It is not known if there is enough time to finish the remodeling work for the World Cup. A second line is also being considered in the northern area. The plan is to provide public transportation to a very populated area known as Naucalpan. The plan includes three projects, a BRT line, a light rail and a cable car. At the end of last year, construction began on the cable car line, which will be the new line of the Mexicable system. And the project for the new BRT line, which will be part of the Mexibus system, has been presented. So we can consider the project for the construction of the new light rail line to be serious. So far, all we know is that it will have Buenavista station as its destination and that it will run on the right-of-way of a railroad that is no longer in operation.
@@brianhenderson9124 Maybe the maker of inverters is the same? There are trains which are from different manufacturers but sound similar, because their inverters are from the same company
I've always found it really ironic that the Washington DC car plates have the motto "no taxation without representation"... but then DC residents pay lots of taxes, whilst having zero representation :-/
No. It's an "entidad federativa", not really a state. There are still distinctions between the 2, hence the mayor is called "jefe de gobierno" but NEVER "governor". It's almost a state, but not quite
7/10 video, needs more axolotls
I agree
This line is literally an extension of the metro, continuing down the same street. As someone who used to live in China and still watches Chinese metro videos, the motor sound and part of the door chime sounded exactly like a Chinese metro train (they're very similar), which felt really weird.
@@noahottin4015 Trains of Chinese origin are becoming more common in Mexico. Line 4 of the Guadalajara Light Rail and many lines of the Metrorrey (Monterrey metro) use trains made by CRRC.
@@cornkopp2985 Huh. Thanks for sharing!
Trains are Awesome, but axolotls are awesomer.
mexico is quickly improving into the best country for public transit in North America
There are still quite a few areas where the transit is not good, but hopefully what we see in CDMX will spread to other cities
Unfortunately, no. No new subway line has been built in the last decade, and not one is planned at the moment.
@@alanmirandamarquez6708 And which US city has better public transport?
@@trained_4_life in terms of density of the network, New York City. Almost 400km of network and 472 stations for a city for 8.3m people. In Mexico City, it's half of both for a city with 9.2m people. And that's not even counting the periphery, which are mostly poor suburbs where people go to sleep, rather than standalone cities. Our network should have kept growing steadily in the last two decades.
@@alanmirandamarquez6708 But there is more to public transport than the subway......
I speak Spanish, never knew “tren ligero” was the proper term for light rail. I am gonna use that immediately lol. Thanks for sharing!
Now I am retroactively editing the video because I mispronounced the "g" like half the times. Cries...
Haha! I get it. It can be hard to get used to letters like this. Many of my English speaking friends battle with this, especially with the “ll”, which is almost like a “y”.
i just remembered a fun fact on why the trains on the metro are orange.
Orange was the default color the train manufacturer had set.
That is a fun fact!
8:46 those handgrips resemble those found in east Asia where there’s advertising placards stuck into the top slot.
I grew up in Japan and never saw those. Must be a China thing.
these are chinese trains!
@@Thom-TRA I've seen them all over in China's buses and trains.
Correct, that's what they are for.
@@Thom-TRA I've seen them used on European metros and buses, too. Namely London and Berlin. And these were not Chinese rolling stock.
Hola el nombre que le dieron a cada uno de los nuevos trenes, se debió a que honran a los pueblos originarios de Xochimilco.
I used Tren Ligero daily Back in 2023, the newer chinese trains are a very good improvement.
They use the handgrips to put goverment ads (like promoting the CDMX App, Zócalo concerts, promoting the use of charging the MI Card with NFC etc)
The Main Problem of Tren Ligero is the Train crossing with returns for vehicles.
There have been a lot of collisions between cars and buses with the train
That’s probably why we went so slow on that crossing!
South of Estadio Azteca the trip is noticeably slower with multiple level crossings, without barriers at some busy intersections. It's still a comfortable and reliable service. @Thom-TRA
The fact that it's my favorite kind of transportation with my favorite color makes it that much more awesome 👌 👏 👍
That’s great!
It is so nice to see this video, thank you for sharing
I love your CDMX videos, they're very cool. I want to visit sometime! Mexico looks awesome.
It's a pretty cool city!
Absolutely loving your series on CDMX, truly makes me want to prioritize visiting from my home near Chicago! So much interesting public transit sweetens the deal for sure. And here's to the axolotl! The drawing you had pop up had better show up on a campaign haha
Thanks! I got it from a magnet I bought at one of the markets
Great video Mexico City light rail
Great video; I’m looking forward to your next one!
Wow the CDMX Metro has to be one of the most expanding yet reliable PT in North America. Even it's MILES or KMs longer than in Indonesia, though we share simillarities with having a Metro, Light Rail, and the long BRT. Though the Metro need some modernization and further safety improvs, I'm impressed. Gracias/Bedankt Thom!
Also, I wish you could stay there longer. In this short video, I already found two interesting topics that are not related to the LRT line itself: the trolleybus line and a Volkswagen beetle car.
The place is called Xochimilco, the animal is called the axolotl!
Some of Mexico City's streetcars came from Twin Cities Transit (Minneapolis/St. Paul. Mn.). They bought them when the Twin Cities went from streetcars to busses in the very early 1950's . The pale yellow car that goes by at 5:30 into the video looks like an old TCT car..
Definitely a change in climate for them haha
So this is basically CDMX's equivalent of the Mattapan trolley, only with much newer trains.
That’s actually a really good point
I love light rail! I understand buses are cheaper but I just wish they hadn't done away with the tram or had at least expanded it to BRT lines that are now very busy and very slow, such as the red line.
Cheaper to run maybe, but you're right, light rail has so many more advantages on a large scale.
I like the doors on the train. They are not doors that push out and I don’t think I’ve seen a light rail line with those kind of doors. the CRRC trains’ doors definitely sound and look like the ones on Guangzhou metro
Outstanding Video As Usual 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 Surprised To See Mexico 🇲🇽 Has Nice Public Transit 🚇 👍 😀 Thanks 🇺🇸 Thom😊
A few years ago, the system underwent major maintenance, rails and the catenary system were replaced. For the 2026 World Cup, the remodeling of the CETRAM (Modal Transfer Center) in Tasqueña is also expected, which will seek to become the "Pantitlán of Electric Transports."
Great video btw
Thanks for the information!
Another awesome video about light rail!!! I wish there were markets in the US stations like they have there. That would be awesome!
It’s not quite the same but McPherson square metro station in DC has a little store in it!
@ Awesome!!!
8:46 those look very similar to the grips I saw on the buses in Iceland!
I find it interesting that the Chicago Metra often stops over RR crossings, especially on the BNSF line to Aurora.
Very obnoxious for residents of course
Edgebrook station - the train dwells hanging out over Devon and also keeps Central & Caldwell closed in the meantime 😑😑😑
The calzada de Tlalpan has been one of the major avenues in the city since precolumbian times, as it was part of the urban layout of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. Always busy!
I like Baltimore's new Purple line.
Yes the handgrips are used for advertising. You can find PSA by the transit agency, advertising by car brands, supermarkets, medical companies or food and drink in them.
¡Gracias amigo! Great video. The interesting fact too about Calzada Tlapan, it used to be a Causeway during the Mexica (Aztec) times. Its one of the oldest throughways in Mexico City.
Also, the oldest "Red Light District". The term "Acahueta" or Madam in Nahualt, came from there too. Which is the reason why I'm used to seeing "Mamacitas Señoritas if someone goes "Calzada Tlapan" on YT 😅. (Mexican habit, we enjoy a little joke on our fellow Gringos).
¡Saludos desde Chicago!
Have you considered visiting Guadalajara? Also some interesting public transportation options over here
I really want to explore the other systems now
I found this quite an informative video! Now, I know more about the _Tren_ _Ligero_ of Xochimilco, as well as the blue trolleys that they use (whose paint scheme I like a lot). I didn't know the CRRC cars also have given names.
Also, fun fact: I myself translated into English the Wikipedia pages for several of the _Tren_ _Ligero_ stations, including Tasqueña to La Virgen. I'll translate some more soon.
Thanks for the video!
Wow, thanks for doing that! That means I’ve read your work haha
great video, thanks Thom.
You're welcome!
Another informative video. Thanks.
You’re welcome!
I sometimes took this train to get to my house from the University (Tec de monterrey) I liked it until it was rush hour at night. At one time, the line broke down and had to take a bus to my house.
You have to be careful there as Mexican cities can have a lot of bus stations and if you get the wrong one the right one might be pretty far away! Sometimes they are roughly based on the direction the buses go but sometimes on the companies that use them.With Mexico City i think that it's more direction based but with Acapulco it seemed to be based on the companies.
I enjoyed the video👍👍
Glad you liked it!
I hope you can go back someday and ride the entire line
Thanks! I hope so too
as of 2016 mexico city stopped being a federal distict to become a state
The state being named Ciudad de México (Mexico City)
That’s wrong. CDMX is still not a state. They just got some more autonomy. An easy Google search will tell you that.
@@Thom-TRA and an easy search on the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) will show you that its a state, like the other 31 states that make up mexico
Expanding on that, the official term is a federal entity, article 44 of the mexican constituton states that Mexico City is a federal entity.
Legally it is the same as the 32 others, and in other government dependencies, it's recognized as such
@project_sia it is a district with state-like autonomy but that is still explicitly not a state like the others. Basic knowledge, just because you make up facts doesn't make them true.
also there are only 31 states
Great video!!!! Looking forward to the video for DC streetcars.
Question, did you see any fare evaders while riding the Mexico light rail system?
I did not
Good video for the World
Thanks!
Pero ya está casi en comenzar la construcción de la línea 2 del tren ligero
That’s good! Where will it be?
@Thom-TRA Buenavista
those hand grips are really strange, maybe the space is for an ad to be inserted?
Probably!
YES, that's exactly the purpose: there's a super thin gap between the 2 acryllic plates above the handgrip, a sheet of paper, cut to the exact size, with the ad printed on it, is inserted there. Some bus companies in MX city have tried pushing for those handgrips - but i guess the conversion rate from "ad seen => increase in purchase" is really really low, because very few bus lines have them, and most of the time they don't run ads
I”ll see you at Shady Grove Red Line😊
Hola, amigo Trains Are Awesome, te invito que visites la ciudad de Guadalajara, Estado de Jalisco país México, ahí tenemos 3 Líneas de Tren Ligero y 2 Líneas de BRT y 1 Línea de Trolebús, para que des tu opinión.
Saludos
I would love to visit!
When you visit Paris, you will have 1200 route km of rail lines available[RER(750), Metro(245), Tram(185)].
I have been to Paris several times but am excited to go back soon
On the next trip that you and Lindsay make to Paris, ride the tram lines🇺🇳😊
CRRC? Ugh. Same company that built CTA's 7000-series cars
That's funny, the CRRC trains using both European and Chinese door chimes at the same time and having a propulsion that sounds similar to a lot of German trains
It’s a small world I guess
I have some news, there will be a remodeling for two reasons.
The first is that a new cable car line will be built that will start from the Xochimilco terminal. The second reason is because the Azteca Stadium is the venue for the 2026 World Cup.
New trains will be purchased.
There is talk of expanding the size of the station platforms, to accommodate double-coupled trains, and to increase the capacity to 4 cars.
It is not known if there is enough time to finish the remodeling work for the World Cup.
A second line is also being considered in the northern area.
The plan is to provide public transportation to a very populated area known as Naucalpan.
The plan includes three projects, a BRT line, a light rail and a cable car.
At the end of last year, construction began on the cable car line, which will be the new line of the Mexicable system. And the project for the new BRT line, which will be part of the Mexibus system, has been presented.
So we can consider the project for the construction of the new light rail line to be serious. So far, all we know is that it will have Buenavista station as its destination and that it will run on the right-of-way of a railroad that is no longer in operation.
Those are exciting projects!
There’s something about CDMX’s trains where they all are boxy in the exact same way
this reminds me of LA metro light rail trains
Yes there are definitely some similarities!
It is no longer a Federal District (as of 2016) and now is a full fledge state
It gained more autonomy but it is still not a state
@@Thom-TRA Seems like you are correct, beenthinking otherwise for about 10 years now. Love the videos btw!
That's a strange door closing chime
Doesn't look accessible???
I live in Gaithersburg, MD where in DC DO YOU live?
DC
Were those LRVs built by CAF? The motor whine sounds like the WMATA 5000 Series, sort-of.
They were built by Bombardier and Siemens
@@brianhenderson9124 Maybe the maker of inverters is the same? There are trains which are from different manufacturers but sound similar, because their inverters are from the same company
If only US lightrail trains allow passengers to open windows. Maybe in MX it's a ventilation issue? CRRC is known for color coding the seats.
My guess is it gets warmer in Mexico, and the trains have no A/C
@@davidmontoya9383 I think this makes more sense
The handles are made like that so they can put publicity in them.
So are they going to do that?
Weird to see basically trams with 3 doors per car lol
The hand grips were designed to have advertisements in the flat bit. Common in China.
The word cup 2026 fifA friend.
Another difference is that residents of CDMX elect real members to the union Congress. Just saying.
You don’t have to convince me haha
I've always found it really ironic that the Washington DC car plates have the motto "no taxation without representation"... but then DC residents pay lots of taxes, whilst having zero representation :-/
@ it’s not really ironic, the plates say that on purpose to remind the government how unjust it is
First
Congrats
Mature
Mexico City ceased to exist as a Federal District in 2016. It is now a fully autonomous state.
That is not true. It gained more autonomy but it is still a district, NOT a state. A google search will tell you that.
No. It's an "entidad federativa", not really a state. There are still distinctions between the 2, hence the mayor is called "jefe de gobierno" but NEVER "governor". It's almost a state, but not quite