An Important Milestone in the U3-Monterrey Project: the first passenger service
After many months of hard work, another very important milestone has now been reached in the U3-Monterrey project in Mexico – the first passenger service is now in operation.
The twenty-four U3 trains, which were refurbished in Aachen and then shipped to Mexico, are now being fine-tuned by SBRS and Talbot and put dynamically into service The first passenger journey took place on 24.09.2021 in the presence of those responsible from the operator, Metrorrey. The vehicles are configured as 3 two-car vehicles, always coupled as a triplet (3 car traction). It was an uplifting, satisfying experience when the doors opened for the first time and the passengers streamed in.
Some onlookers were amazed at the light and airy atmosphere and the spacious interior, compared to the other trains. Some noticed no changes at all and continued to stare at their mobile phones. At times, the train was very full; all of the seats were always occupied. The journey itself went smoothly, run by one of the operator’s experienced, well-trained drivers. In about one and a half hours, all 19 stations on the number 3 line were called at, travelling at a maximum speed of 64 km/h (there and back). The next picture shows rather impressively that the level of comfort was satisfactory. It was not long before the first passengers had fallen asleep.
The trip went smoothly, without incident and the customer was highly satisfied
There is a large SBRS team, including top specialists, on site. The following picture shows the SBRS staff (all vaccinated or recovered). Additional local personnel are supporting them, so that the SBRS team consists of about 30 people in total.
They will ensure that all of the vehicles are put into service, fully tested, one after another – the operator’s top priority is vehicle reliability. In the meantime, nine trains (three triplets) have been handed over to the end customer. However, further tests will be carried out before regular passenger service starts.
Our thanks go to the team for their outstanding work!
This post is also available in: German
