translated from Spanish: Metro Line 12, its history of complaints, failures and irregularities

From its entry into operation, Metro Line 12, which runs from Tláhuac to Mixcoac, started with faults and a mixture of controversy. It was inaugurated on October 30, 2012, a few months later it closed and then reopened in its entirety between signs of irregularities in the works and lack of maintenance.
The so-called Golden Line was inaugurated by the then head of government of the CDMX, Marcelo Ebrard. A day after its inauguration it reported problems; in less than 10 days the service was suspended due to electrical failures.
In March 2014, Line 12 closed 11 stations for “technical problems in construction”. The new Line faced extensive wear and tear on the elevated stretch, which affected fixed installations and trains, announced Joel Ortega, director of the STC. In this note you can see what Ortega said.

The stations were completely reopened as during the administration of Michelangelo Mancera, until November 2015.
At first Mancera received the work as safe, then her administration began reporting irregularities.
According to Mexico Evalúa, Metro line 12 was a work that was completed ten months late and cost 9 billion extra pesos, more than 50% of the original amount.

Line 12 of the Metro Collective Transportation System was built in 2008 through a contract between the Government of the Federal District (GDF) and the companies ICA, Alstom and Carso, for a sum of 15 billion pesos. The contract was initially scheduled to take place between 3 July 2008 and 31 December 2011. “Neither the contract nor the duration remained close to what was originally planned,” the organization said in April 2014.
Government and businesses blame each other 
The Federation’s Superior Audit also noted irregularities during the works, including omission of works, unfinished works, and incompatibility between the rail and wheel, which could lead to accelerated wear and instability.
The authorities and companies in charge of the work blamed each other for the failures.
ICA said track wear was faster than normal because the design of the train wheels, manufactured by CAF, was not compatible with the installed rails. CAF, in turn, responded that the trains were made in close collaboration with the STC Metro.
In a joint statement, the companies noted that they only did the work according to what the capital government requested.
Line 12 presented undulating wear and tear because of a compatibility problem between the wheels and rails, since its manufacture is of different origin, the French company Systra concluded in June 2014 in a diagnosis requested by the capital government, according to a report of the newspaper Reforma. 
“The origin of the problem does not appear to be a defect in materials (except ballast), but a very delicate compatibility problem at the rail/wheel interface level where you have a rail that corresponds to the Arema (American) standard and a wheel manufactured under European standards,” he said in a report he made on the work.
There was warning that there was evidence of failure and prior wear, but also lack of maintenance.
Systra established that while Metro Line 12 could operate safely, it was within the limits set by international standards, so it recommended that it be refurbished.
A report by the then Legislative Assembly of the Federal District (ALDF) meant that Metro Line 12 had “significant flaws in project design and planning”, as well as quality monitoring and control.
Among the flaws listed in the 2015 report was the lack of coordination between government agencies and the construction agencies of the Golden Line, the unjustified drop in construction costs and the use of inappropriate material.
To prepare the 125-page report, legislators were supported by the Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de México, the Mexican Association of Transport Engineering and the Secretariats of Works and Finance, the Metro Collective Transport Service, the Legal Counsel and the Metro Project.
In the recommendations section, the report stresses that it is essential that an executive project is available to carry out similar projects, to develop a preventive, corrective and predictive manual, as well as to avoid foreign currency contracts, to form a rehabilitation cabinet to monitor repair work, among others.
Following the failures noted, the government of Mexico City initiated the rehabilitation of Metro Line 12, which included the replacement of tracks, ballast and line sleepers.
s2017 left damage 
In September 2017, days after the 19S isatic, the Collective Transportation System (STC) reported that hidden defects and structural failures were detected as a result of the teluric movement.
One of these faults was just detected in a column located in the Nopalera-Olivos section, a stretch near the collapsed on the night of this Monday that left 23 people dead and more than 70 injured.
Neighbors alerted from detected cracks. At that time, six stations were closed: Tezonco,
Nopalera, Zapotitlán, Tlaltenco, Tláhuac and los Olivos to do propping and rehabilitation work.
 
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Original source in Spanish

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