The governor of Nuevo León, Samuel García, announced that the extension of Line 4 of the metro to Santa Catarina, which was to be financed by the Federation, has been canceled at the request of this same entity to avoid competition with a passenger train announced by the president. Despite this, Lines 4 and 6 will continue to be the longest monorail in the entire continent, with a length of 34.37 kilometers and 21 stations.
García detailed that advances are being made on the metro lines with an eye towards the 2026 Football World Cup and that a special focus has been requested to meet FIFA requirements. Despite the confusions generated around the issue of the passenger train, the governor emphasized that no line of the Nuevo León Metro is being cut, thus fulfilling campaign promises which included the construction of two or possibly three metro lines for the year 2021.
The governor explained that the decision to cancel the extension of Line 4 of the Metro to Santa Catarina was made to avoid competition with the new passenger train that will operate between Mexico City and Nuevo Laredo. This train is expected to have a frequency of three times a day, and the presence of Line 4 of the Metro could divert passenger demand from that railway line.
To avoid confusion and focus on preparations for the Football World Cup, the state government decided to emphasize that no metro line is being canceled, but rather that urban development plans are being modified to ensure better mobility in the region. The remodeling of Line 1 of the Metro and the creation of a FIFA district were mentioned, as well as the importance of improving infrastructure to welcome the anticipated tourists during the sporting event, estimating that half of the visitors will arrive by plane and the other half by car.
