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The long-awaited São Paulo Line 17-Ouro has taken another step forward with the arrival of the first BYD train. Assembly is underway and testing will begin soon. With a budget of R$6 billion, the line promises to connect Congonhas Airport to Morumbi in 2025.
The city of São Paulo is about to witness a revolution in public transport, and all of this could happen faster than you think.
With a budget of around R$6 billion, the government of Tarcísio de Freitas has ambitious plans for the capital of São Paulo, and the subway is at the heart of these changes.
The first train on Line 17-Gold, designed by the Chinese BYD, has already arrived in Brazil, and assembly is in full swing.
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First tests and expectations for 2025
According to newspaper Estadão, the State government confirmed that around 20 workers are engaged in assembling the first train of Line 17-Ouro at Pátio Água Espraiada, located in the south of São Paulo.
The parts, which arrived from China on September 9, are already being adjusted so that the vehicle can undergo a series of static and dynamic tests later this year.
According to official information, the process must continue until all systems are in perfect compliance with the project requirements.
If everything goes according to plan, commercial operation of the line could begin in the first half of 2025.
Changes to the original design
Although Line 17-Gold was initially supposed to have 18 stations, ten were cut from the original plan.
Currently, the line will have eight operational stations, connecting Congonhas Airport to the Morumbi neighborhood.
The monorail will be responsible for integrating the south zone with Line 5-Lilac and Line 9-Emerald, with a route of 6,7 km in length.
Despite the difficulties faced, including contractual changes and the change of the company responsible for the works in 2023, the government seems determined to complete this project that has already suffered several delays over the years.
Final assembly and testing phase
On September 24, the five wagons of the first train were placed on the guide beam at Pátio Água Espraiada.
The assembly team is now working on installing the protective nets, gangways (interconnecting accordions between the wagons), and installing fire detection and fighting systems.
In addition, other crucial elements such as compressed air pipes, jumpers for electronic circuits and brakes are being adjusted.
Only after these steps can dynamic tests begin, which must take place on the tracks already built within the yard itself.
Innovative features of Line 17-Gold trains
The first train on the line consists of five carriages and follows accessibility guidelines, with four 1,6-meter doors on each side.
These trains have panoramic windows, air conditioning, LED lighting and surveillance cameras.
In addition, audiovisual communication on board offers passengers a dynamic map of the line and the possibility of direct communication with the Operational Control Center (CCO).
Each train has the capacity to transport 616 passengers, with priority seating and spaces dedicated to people with disabilities.
The future of Line 17-Gold: more promises or reality?
Despite the uncertainties that still surround Line 17-Ouro, the arrival of the first BYD trains represents an important step towards the completion of the project.
According to Tarcísio de Freitas, the current deadline for the complete delivery of the line is 2025.
However, delays in infrastructure projects are nothing new in Brazil, which raises questions about the viability of the schedule.
With promises to connect crucial areas of the city and improve access to the airport, it remains to be seen whether Line 17-Ouro will fulfill its role or whether it will be just another project that drags on indefinitely.
And you, do you believe that this project will finally be delivered on time, or will we see new delays in the coming months?
When I was 10 years old, my grandfather told us that we would have a subway in the VL SONIA neighborhood. I only waited 50 years to enjoy the Yellow Line. I am absolutely sure that there may be small changes for the delivery of the Gold Line 17, but with the Governor in charge it will be a short time.
Every week this government announces a new project, or a new project but delivers something...
At least 3 or 4 Governors have already taken the eleven o'clock train, because the subway does not start from the heavy beams of the obscure bureaucracy of the works, whose fare exceeds millions.
Years wasted with the PSDB, they blocked the expansion of the subway, diverted what they could from the Rouboanel, not to mention the school lunch mafia, the toll… Now Alkimin is where he feels comfortable, he is at the “scene of the crime”, even joining forces with terrorists.
The first half of 2025 is a joke. I bet this work will be finished in 2030, being optimistic. It is possible to break and make enough new construction contracts, so that everyone gets their slice of the pie.
And the connection with Jabaquara, which is what would actually solve the problem, may start around 2080.