News

Plans are already in the works for the third line of the Metro, as the city continues to race to build out the system.

President Juan Carlos Varela is set to visit Japan in the next few months to formalize financing for the third line in the metro, according to La Prensa. Deputy Ministry of Foreign Affairs Luis Miguel Hincapié reportedly has visited Japan to sign a “memorandum of cooperation,” which will establish specifications and a framework for the final agreement, the paper reports.

That’s good news for Panama City residents and anyone doing business here. The 27-kilometer third line is key, designed to cross the canal and connect Panama City to the communities in the west.

The first segment of the metro debuted in 2014 to international acclaim, the first metro in Central America. But some feared that the metro buildout would stall, once the first segment was announced and received publicity. Metro systems are only really effective when they connect to a wide system and provide options to many neighborhoods.

But those fears were clearly unfounded. Progress is moving forward at a rapid rate on the metro system, even if it might be slower than some would like. Construction contracts have been awarded for the 21-kilometer second segment of the metro and construction began in October.

Last month the metro agency announced a 145 million euro contract to a consortium led by French company of Alstom to supply 70 new metro cars for the Line 1, including upgrading the signaling and other equipment.

The first line is handling 200,000 passengers a day, the metro agency says.

The third line will offer service along a 27-kilometer route from Albrook to La Chorrera, with 14 stations. Early reports suggest it may use a monorail, instead of traditional track systems, La Prensa reports. A subsequent report by Bloomberg confirms it’s a monorail and placed the contract at $2 billion.