Quito Metro : how its maintenance model works

Quito Metro now assigns upkeep of its thirteen subsystems to five international contractor groups, a framework completed in June 2026.

Line 1 links the south and north of Ecuador's capital in 34 minutes across 22.5 kilometres and 15 underground stations. Since opening, the system has logged 149.1 million rides, with a user satisfaction score of 9.4 out of 10. The operator also credits the line with avoiding 141,000 tonnes of CO2, a core plank of its sustainable-mobility case.

Two contracts anchor the recent record. On 24 February 2026, the Empresa Pública Metropolitana Metro de Quito (EPMMQ) signed a 27.2-million-dollar agreement with Alstom to maintain the CITYFLO 350 signalling system, running until February 2030. On 5 June 2026, EPMMQ signed a five-year, 62.1-million-dollar contract with the Consorcio Ferroviario Metro de Quito — a French, Panamanian and Ecuadorian grouping (Sofratesa, Rieltec Ecuador, Ripconciv) — covering tunnels, track, workshops and telecommunications, saving more than 10 million dollars against the 73.9-million reference budget.

With that signing, all thirteen subsystems now sit under specialised maintenance contracts: signalling (Alstom), power (Siemens, until October 2029), rolling stock (CAF, until October 2029), stations and operations (EOMMT, until November 2028), and infrastructure (Consorcio Ferroviario, until June 2031). EPMMQ presents the model as underpinning uninterrupted service since day one of commercial operation.

Sources: Empresa Pública Metropolitana Metro de Quito, press releases (24 February, 15 April and 5 June 2026); Alstom, press release (4 March 2026); Municipio de Quito / Quito Informa, "Metro en Cifras" statistical bulletin (February 2026).