Subway D was closed for two months,
as a result of the modernization of the signal system and the replacement of the track changing machines. And one month after the reopening, complaints from users are accumulating about
delays of up to 10 or 15 minutes between trains,
screens that do not indicate the arrival time, stairs under repair, broken elevators, water leaks and sudden stops between stations.
Clarín
visited the 16 stops and spoke with the users who walk through the tunnels every day to go to work, study or simply get somewhere in the City faster. They say that before the closure, from Monday to Friday, the line operated with a frequency of 3 minutes and a journey of about
26 minutes between headers
. Now between 10 and 15 minutes can pass between trains, and because of the sudden stops in the middle of the tunnels, the trip between Cathedral and Congreso de Tucuman can
take up to 38 minutes.
Consulted by
Clarín
, from Subterráneos de Buenos Aires (Sbase), the Buenos Aires Government company that manages the subway, they assured that “since its opening,
the new CBTC system is being finished calibrating
and in the coming weeks the improvement will be seen in the service, typical of cutting-edge technology in terms of signaling.”
According to the authorities, when they announced the temporary closure of the second line with more users, they did so in order to be able to move forward with the replacement of the 31 track change machines and, once the signal system was renewed,
"verify that all possible routes comply with safety standards, identify possible failures and complete the installation of the new system on board the trains."
The CBTC is a state-of-the-art system whose technology is adopted by the most modern subways in the world. It works through
communication between formations, allowing maximum closeness safely
and reducing the interval to the minimum possible," they explained from the Buenos Aires Government.
Line D with delays between trains. They claim that it is because the signal system is being calibrated. Photo Marcelo Carroll
The complaints
Lucas Romero (29) travels between the capitals from Monday to Friday, in order to get to work. What once meant a quick shortcut is now a tedious journey. “The truth is that after two months he thought they were going to work very well and that wasn't the case. In frequency it did not change at all, in fact, it takes longer. Also, if you want to get there quickly,
some escalators don't work
,” he said.
In Oath for a packed subway. As best they can, those waiting on the platform cling to their backpacks, turn their backs and push to enter. From the bench, Ana Miernik (30) watches this fight between those who get angry because the doors do not close and those who only insist on getting into training.
Access to Bulnes station from the Alto Palermo shopping center is only via the common staircase. The mechanics don't work. Photo Marcelo Carroll
“Since he returned, the truth is that he comes infrequently and people start to pile up. From
the first weeks we notice that it is going much slower than normal. Getting to the Cathedral takes much longer than usual,”
she explained.
Screens off
Passengers are also protesting the displays that indicate when the next train is coming. You only see the time. As
Clarín
learned
, the first days the schedules appeared, but they did not coincide with the arrival of the trains. And then they were turned off.
Water filtration at the Palermo station. Photo Marcelo Carroll
“I haven't seen big changes, I can't find any modifications. The schedules cannot be seen, everything is still dirty, water falls down the wall, the frequency is 10 minutes or more. Sometimes three subways pass and you can't take them because they are collapsed," says user Génesis Gutierrez (33), who travels from Palermo to Catedral.
"In repair"
During the tour that this newspaper took through the 16 stations of the line, it was noted that in Congreso de Tucumán and Juramento the elevator does not work. There are many users who need this tool. Like Ana Arce (65) who, as best she can, at a slow pace,
tries to climb to the exit.
“Look how I'm doing. I have a problem with my legs. The truth is that we have to complain because it gets worse every day. Now I'm going up the common stairs because neither the elevators nor the escalators work here in Juramento. You also can't see what time the subway comes. “It's a disaster,” he told
Clarín
.
As for the stairs not working, that happens in seven of the line's 16 stations. Not only inside, but also in the mouths that face the street. For example in Bulnes (the one inside the shopping), Juramento and Pueyrredón. In turn, this means a big problem in combinations, such as on July 9, where the crowd must go through a single staircase to join lines D and C. This week, workers were seen working there.
Water leaks at the Bulnes station also cause complaints from passengers. Photo: Marcelo Carroll
In this regard, the response of Emova, the company that has the service concession, is that constant surveys are carried out of stairs and elevators that are damaged.
"All the stairs at the Faculty of Medicine station are working. Regarding the rest, it is a dynamic situation, since the
escalators and elevators
of the subway network have very delicate mechanisms that receive intensive use and are often exposed to acts of vandalism," the company said, adding: "Repair times vary depending on the type of breakdown and the need for spare parts, which are usually imported."
On rainy days there are also problems due to leaks. Holding each other, Félix Cardozo and his wife, Cecilia, try to go slowly because inside the Palermo station everything is a large
puddle of water
. “It is not known if it rains more outside than inside. The truth is that we don't always take this subway, we only did it because today we had to go to Los Arcos. There were a lot of people and the schedules on the screens were not visible,” he explained to this newspaper.
The new D line signs are very useful #subteD #emova pic.twitter.com/BNdVNeR6ig
— Jimenaconjota (@JimeGut) April 4, 2024
In that sense, Emova sources explained that they may be a consequence of "losses or overflows on the surface of the running water networks that circulate above our tunnels. These are issues that are channeled as they impact the network, but the solution The initial loss is unrelated to the Subway.
In addition, they added that in some cases they are also linked to the rains, "which may be atypical, like those in March." Regarding Palermo specifically, they stated that they are finishing work to reinforce the water channeling.
I've been waiting for the subway for half an hour
— federico lowenstein (@fedelowe) April 4, 2024
The opinion of users improves when talking about
the last station that had modernization and enhancement works.
This is the Faculty of Medicine, which was opened on Wednesday. Juan Ocampo (29) is a regular at this stop. It is close to him because he studies at the Faculty of Economics and for him “it is a great shortcut” because he can arrive earlier to take the train in Constitución.
“It's beautiful and clean. The truth is that she turned out very good. The only thing missing is a staircase that does not work and is under repair, but beyond that detail, I am satisfied,” he expressed.
Faculty of Medicine reopened last week. Due to the delays on line D, passengers accumulate at all stations. Photo Marcelo Carroll
S.C.