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Lima Metro Line 1 Partially Operating as Ositrán Investigates; $2.7 Billion Upgrade Under Review

An official inquiry follows reports of a circuit overload, with a capacity expansion to modernize power and signaling under evaluation.

Overview

  • As of Feb. 5, service remains suspended between La Cultura and Caja de Agua, with trains running only Villa El SalvadorLa Cultura and Caja de Agua–Bayóvar and the intermediate stations closed.
  • Images showed passengers evacuating trains and walking along the tracks toward operating stations, prompting fresh safety concerns.
  • Ositrán said it has opened an investigation to determine the cause and will continue supervision and enforcement under the concession contract.
  • The Transport Ministry and the Line 1 concessionaire are assessing an adenda estimated at about $2.7 billion to add power and signaling upgrades, expand stations, and buy new trains to cut peak headways from 3 to 1.5 minutes.
  • Officials note the original infrastructure was state-built and only operations and maintenance were concessioned in 2012, as ridership has surged from 33 million in 2012 to over 215 million in 2025; Congress’s consumer commission has requested explanations and pledged oversight.