The long-awaited Line 6-Laranja of the São Paulo metro system has officially entered its final phase of construction and operational testing, marking a major milestone for the city's public transportation network. According to reports, the first segment of the new line is scheduled to be delivered and begin service in October of this year.
This initial operational stretch will connect the Brasilândia neighborhood in the North Zone to the Santa Marina station in the West Zone. The project is being managed by the concessionaire Linha Uni. Recent overnight testing has been conducted along the route, as the tracks are only energized during these hours when no construction workers are present on the lines.
A significant portion of the rolling stock is already on site. Ten of the 22 trains planned for the line are currently housed at the Pátio Morro Grande, which serves as the storage, maintenance, and operational control center for the line. The remaining trains are being manufactured in Taubaté and are expected to arrive in the coming months.
These modern trains are designed for fully automated operation, similar to the system used on the Line 4-Amarela. However, the current testing phase is being conducted with drivers on board. During a recent test run observed by TV Globo, the train traveled at a low speed of about 14 kilometers per hour. In regular service, the trains will be capable of reaching speeds up to 80 km/h.
Each train set features interconnected carriages with side seating and has the capacity to carry up to 2,044 passengers per trip. Once the entire line is operational, the journey from Brasilândia to São Joaquim is expected to take approximately 23 minutes. The line will also feature some of the deepest stations in the city's metro network, with Itaberaba-Hospital Vila Penteado reaching 68 meters below street level, placing it among the ten deepest in the world.
Progress on the stations for the first segment is advanced. Five stations between Brasilândia and Perdizes are already more than 90% complete. The Itaberaba station, due to its extreme depth, is the most delayed but is still expected to be finished on schedule. The Maristela station will be the only one in the first segment to be completed in the second phase.
At the Santa Marina station, which is about 95% complete, preparations are underway for load testing. This critical phase involves placing sandbags equivalent to the maximum passenger weight on the trains to evaluate acceleration, braking, and overall performance.
The second and final phase of the Line 6-Laranja, extending from Perdizes to São Joaquim, remains planned for completion in 2027. When all 15 stations are open, the line is projected to serve approximately 630,000 passengers daily.
Based on reporting from g1.