Line 1-Blue was the first metro line in Brazil and started with only 6.4 km in 1974: the route connected Jabaquara to Vila Mariana, operated only four hours a day, and helped transform the mobility of São Paulo; today, Line 1-Blue has 23 stations and more than 20 km in length.

Written by Andriely Medeiros de Araújo

Published on 29/05/2026 at 17:23

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Line 1-Blue, the first metro line in SP, completes decades of operation carrying an essential part of São Paulo’s transport history.

Long before the expansion of São Paulo’s metro system, Line 1-Blue already connected important regions of the capital and helped transform urban mobility in São Paulo. The first metro line in SP, it began to be constructed at the end of the 1960s and started commercial operation in 1974. Currently with 23 stations and more than 20 kilometers in length, the route carries an important part of the city’s public transport evolution.

The project emerged after the creation of the São Paulo Metropolitan Company, authorized by Municipal Law No. 6,988, on December 26, 1966. Shortly after the official founding of the company, in April 1968, construction began on the then-called North-South Line, a name used before the name Line 1-Blue was officially adopted, according to an article published by Estadão.

How the construction of Line 1-Blue began

The first interventions took place on Avenida Jabaquara, on December 14, 1968. At that time, the responsibility for the works was with the municipal administration. Only years later did the system come under the control of the Government of the State of São Paulo.

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First metro line in SP opened to the public in 1974

The commercial operation officially began on September 14, 1974. At the debut of the first metro line in SP, seven stations were opened:

Jabaquara
Conceição
São Judas
Saúde
Praça da Árvore
Santa Cruz
Vila Mariana

At that time, the route was 6.4 kilometers long. The operation was also quite limited. The trains operated only from Monday to Friday, between 9 AM and 1 PM, with no service on weekends.

Data released by the company indicated a daily average of 2,858 passengers on the initial stretch between Jabaquara and Vila Mariana.

Expansion took Line 1-Blue to the center

Less than a year after the inauguration, the route was expanded. In February 1975, the line reached the Liberdade station, bringing the system closer to the central region of São Paulo’s capital.

With the expansion, the operating hours also increased. The operation began to occur from 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM.

Subsequently, other innovations began to appear in the metro system. In June of that same year, the São Judas station received the first Lost and Found office of the São Paulo Metro.

A few months later, in September 1975, the tracks reached the Santana station, further expanding the connection between the South and North zones of the city.

Line 1-Blue helped popularize the “Tatuzão”

During the construction of the stretch between Liberdade and Luz, a special excavation machine called the Shield Tunnel Boring Machine was used. The equipment ended up receiving a popular nickname among the people of São Paulo: “Tatuzão”.

According to the Metro, the technology was adopted because of the high concentration of buildings in the central region of the city. The method allowed for tunnel excavation in densely urbanized areas without compromising surface structures.

Linha 1-Azul, a primeira linha de metrô de SP, completa décadas de operação carregando parte essencial da história do transporte paulistano. — Line 1-Blue, the first metro line in SP, completes decades of operation carrying an essential part of São Paulo’s transportation history. (image for illustrative purposes only)

It was precisely in this area that one of the deepest points of the system emerged. Near the São Bento station, there is a region located about 45 meters below Rua Boa Vista.

The company reported that the section also receives periodic maintenance services, including cleaning actions and combating possible insect and larva infestations.

Growth of SP’s first metro line continued in the following decades

The expansion of the system did not stop in the following years. On February 17, 1978, the Sé station was inaugurated to allow future integration with the East-West line.

In 1993, the former North-South Line was officially renamed Line 1-Blue, a name still used today.

Linha 1-Azul, a primeira linha de metrô de SP, completa décadas de operação carregando parte essencial da história do transporte paulistano. Fonte: Acervo do Metrô de São Paulo, — Arrival of the first metro car. Source: São Paulo Metro Archive, Source: São Paulo Metro Archive,

The current configuration of the line was consolidated on April 29, 1998, when the Jardim São Paulo, Parada Inglesa, and Tucuruvi stations began operation.

With this, SP’s first metro line reached its current 20.2 kilometers in length and 23 stations distributed throughout the capital of São Paulo.

Structure marked the history of São Paulo’s transportation

In addition to transporting thousands of people daily, Line 1-Blue became a symbol of urban modernization in São Paulo. The system inaugurated a new stage of mobility in the city and paved the way for the creation of other metro lines.

Over the decades, the structure has undergone expansions and operational adaptations. However, it still preserves the historical role of having initiated underground transportation in the country’s largest city.

According to Metro records, the pioneering line helped consolidate the rail transport model in the capital and remains one of the most important axes of São Paulo’s metro network.

The information is from Estadão

Line 1-Blue was the first metro line in Brazil and started with only 6.4 km in 1974: the route connected Jabaquara to Vila Mariana, operated only four hours a day, and helped transform the mobility of São Paulo; today, Line 1-Blue has 23 stations and more than 20 km in length.

Line 1-Blue, the first metro line in SP, completes decades of operation carrying an essential part of São Paulo’s transport history.

How the construction of Line 1-Blue began

First metro line in SP opened to the public in 1974

Expansion took Line 1-Blue to the center

Line 1-Blue helped popularize the “Tatuzão”

Growth of SP’s first metro line continued in the following decades

Structure marked the history of São Paulo’s transportation

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Line 1-Blue was the first metro line in Brazil and started with only 6.4 km in 1974: the route connected Jabaquara to Vila Mariana, operated only four hours a day, and helped transform the mobility of São Paulo; today, Line 1-Blue has 23 stations and more than 20 km in length.

Line 1-Blue, the first metro line in SP, completes decades of operation carrying an essential part of São Paulo’s transport history.

How the construction of Line 1-Blue began

First metro line in SP opened to the public in 1974

Expansion took Line 1-Blue to the center

Line 1-Blue helped popularize the “Tatuzão”

Growth of SP’s first metro line continued in the following decades

Structure marked the history of São Paulo’s transportation

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