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162-481: The Buenos Aires Underground (Spanish: Subterráneo de Buenos Aires ), locally known as Subte ( Spanish: [ˈsuβte] ), is a rapid transit system that serves the area of the city of Buenos Aires , Argentina. The first section of this network (Plaza de Mayo–Plaza Miserere) opened in 1913, making it the 13th earliest subway network in the world and the first underground railway in Latin America ,

324-408: A line shaft . Dogs were sometimes used on machines such as a treadmill, which could be adapted to churn butter. In the late 19th century specially designed power buildings leased space to small shops. These building supplied power to the tenants from a steam engine through line shafts. Electric motors were several times more efficient than small steam engines because central station generation

486-425: A body of water), which are potential congestion sites but also offer an opportunity for transfers between lines. Ring lines provide good coverage, connect between the radial lines and serve tangential trips that would otherwise need to cross the typically congested core of the network. A rough grid pattern can offer a wide variety of routes while still maintaining reasonable speed and frequency of service. A study of

648-454: A code for its stations. Unlike that of Singapore's MRT, it is mostly numbers. Based on the line number, for example Sinyongsan station, is coded as station 429. Being on Line 4, the first number of the station code is 4. The last two numbers are the station number on that line. Interchange stations can have multiple codes. Like City Hall station in Seoul which is served by Line 1 and Line 2. It has

810-651: A code of 132 and 201 respectively. The Line 2 is a circle line and the first stop is City Hall, therefore, City Hall has the station code of 201. For lines without a number like Bundang line it will have an alphanumeric code. Lines without a number that are operated by KORAIL will start with the letter 'K'. With widespread use of the Internet and cell phones globally, transit operators now use these technologies to present information to their users. In addition to online maps and timetables, some transit operators now offer real-time information which allows passengers to know when

972-583: A conventional track is often provided in case of flat tires and for switching . There are also some rubber-tired systems that use a central guide rail , such as the Sapporo Municipal Subway and the NeoVal system in Rennes , France. Advocates of this system note that it is much quieter than conventional steel-wheeled trains, and allows for greater inclines given the increased traction of

1134-405: A dedicated right-of-way are typically used only outside dense areas, since they create a physical barrier in the urban fabric that hinders the flow of people and vehicles across their path and have a larger physical footprint. This method of construction is the cheapest as long as land values are low. It is often used for new systems in areas that are planned to fill up with buildings after the line

1296-408: A frequency of around 6 minutes. Under modernisation plans commenced in 2013, service frequencies increased to an average of one train every 2 minutes 20 seconds by 2019. Trains originally ran until 01:00 am, but following the privatisation of the service through concession to Metrovías , the company established an earlier closing time of 23:00 in 1994 to carry out works on the lines. This change

1458-418: A large number of factors, including geographical barriers, existing or expected travel patterns, construction costs, politics, and historical constraints. A transit system is expected to serve an area of land with a set of lines , which consist of shapes summarized as "I", "L", "U", "S", and "O" shapes or loops. Geographical barriers may cause chokepoints where transit lines must converge (for example, to cross

1620-652: A large part of the network, for example, in outer suburbs, runs at ground level. In most of Britain , a subway is a pedestrian underpass . The terms Underground and Tube are used for the London Underground . The North East England Tyne and Wear Metro , mostly overground, is known as the Metro . In Scotland , the Glasgow Subway underground rapid transit system is known as the Subway . In Ireland ,

1782-424: A light arc with carbon electrodes. However, it was not used to any great extent until a practical means of generating electricity was developed. Carbon arc lamps were started by making contact between two carbon electrodes, which were then separated to within a narrow gap. Because the carbon burned away, the gap had to be constantly readjusted. Several mechanisms were developed to regulate the arc. A common approach

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1944-452: A line is obtained by multiplying the car capacity, the train length, and the service frequency . Heavy rapid transit trains might have six to twelve cars, while lighter systems may use four or fewer. Cars have a capacity of 100 to 150 passengers, varying with the seated to standing ratio  – more standing gives higher capacity. The minimum time interval between trains is shorter for rapid transit than for mainline railways owing to

2106-497: A magnetic strip (called Subtepass ) were used, however, these were phased out of the system in May 2016, opting instead only to use the digital cards, with the exception of some retired, disabled and student cards. In 2024, fares were raised to AR$ 574, an increase of 360%, as part of austerity policies introduced by President Javier Milei . Trains run from 05:00 until 23:00, every 3–4 minutes, for all lines except Line H which has

2268-615: A metro. In Spain, such systems are present in Madrid , Barcelona , Bilbao and Valencia . In Portugal, Lisbon has a metro. The Italian cities of Catania , Genoa , Milan , Naples , Rome and Turin also have metro lines. In Germany and Austria they rapid transit is known as U-Bahn , which are often supported by S-Bahn systems. In Germany, U-Bahn systems exist in Berlin , Hamburg , Munich and Nuremberg , while in Austria such

2430-407: A moment's notice, require no expense of time for its management and be of modest cost both in original cost and in daily expense. To be efficient steam engines needed to be several hundred horsepower. Steam engines and boilers also required operators and maintenance. For these reasons the smallest commercial steam engines were about 2 horsepower. This was above the need for many small shops. Also,

2592-600: A parliamentary committee recommended passage of the landmark 1882 Electric Lighting Act, which allowed the licensing of persons, companies or local authorities to supply electricity for any public or private purposes. The first large scale central power station in America was Edison's Pearl Street Station in New York, which began operating in September 1882. The station had six 200 horsepower Edison dynamos, each powered by

2754-402: A rapid transit setting. Electrification Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. In the context of history of technology and economic development , electrification refers to the build-out of the electricity generation and electric power distribution systems. In

2916-430: A residential HP+PV system. It found that under typical inflation conditions, the lifecycle cost of natural gas and reversible, air-source heat pumps are nearly identical, which in part explains why heat pump sales have surpassed gas furnace sales in the U.S. for the first time during a period of high inflation. With higher rates of inflation or lower PV capital costs, PV becomes a hedge against rising prices and encourages

3078-489: A rocking switch. Later segmented commutators were used to produce direct current. Around 1838-40, William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone developed a telegraph. In 1840 Wheatstone was using a magneto that he developed to power the telegraph. Wheatstone and Cooke made an important improvement in electrical generation by using a battery-powered electromagnet in place of a permanent magnet, which they patented in 1845. The self-excited magnetic field dynamo did away with

3240-481: A separate steam engine. It was located in a business and commercial district and supplied 110 volt direct current to 85 customers with 400 lamps. By 1884 Pearl Street was supplying 508 customers with 10,164 lamps. By the mid-1880s, other electric companies were establishing central power stations and distributing electricity, including Crompton & Co. and the Swan Electric Light Company in

3402-451: A small steam engine and boiler cost about $ 7,000 while an old blind horse that could develop 1/2 horsepower cost $ 20 or less. Machinery to use horses for power cost $ 300 or less. Many power requirements were less than that of a horse. Shop machines, such as woodworking lathes, were often powered with a one- or two-man crank. Household sewing machines were powered with a foot treadle; however, factory sewing machines were steam-powered from

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3564-565: A specialized transit police may be established. These security measures are normally integrated with measures to protect revenue by checking that passengers are not travelling without paying. Some subway systems, such as the Beijing Subway , which is ranked by Worldwide Rapid Transit Data as the "World's Safest Rapid Transit Network" in 2015, incorporates airport-style security checkpoints at every station. Rapid transit systems have been subject to terrorism with many casualties, such as

3726-585: A sustainable way. Similarly, many households in the developing and developed world suffer from fuel poverty and cannot heat their houses enough. Existing heating practices are often polluting. A key sustainable solution to heating is electrification ( heat pumps , or the less efficient electric heater ). The IEA estimates that heat pumps currently provide only 5% of space and water heating requirements globally, but could provide over 90%. Use of ground source heat pumps not only reduces total annual energy loads associated with heating and cooling, it also flattens

3888-608: A system exists in Vienna . In addition, the small, car-free town of Serfaus in the Austrian state of Tyrol also features a short U-Bahn line. There are no U-Bahn systems in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, but the city of Lausanne has its own, small metro system. In Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, a project for a U-Bahn network was stopped by a referendum in the 1970s and instead its S-Bahn system

4050-421: A thermal battery into the heat pump+solar energy heating system. It is easier to sustainably produce electricity than it is to sustainably produce liquid fuels. Therefore, adoption of electric vehicles is a way to make transport more sustainable. Hydrogen vehicles may be an option for larger vehicles which have not yet been widely electrified, such as long distance lorries. While electric vehicle technology

4212-610: A total of 4 stations to each line between 2003 and 2013. During the same period, Line H was opened 2007, making it the first completely new line on the underground since Line E , excluding the Premetro . There have also been significant modernisations of infrastructure, signalling systems, stations and the network's rolling stock . The current contract expired on 31 December 2019 with bids put forward by: The network comprises six underground lines, labelled "A" to "E" and "H" and which are further identified by different colours, covering

4374-402: A total route length of 56.7 kilometers (35.2 mi) and serving 90 stations. There is also one surface 7.4-kilometer (4.6 mi) Premetro "P" line with an additional 17 stations. Daily ridership was approximately 1.11 million in 2015. With the current usage patterns, the entire system is overstretched, and during weekdays overcrowded and with insufficient services. An expansion programme

4536-548: A tree" from the Plaza de Mayo , something Miguel Delibes described as "restrictive". Current expansion efforts seek to address those restrictions by creating more north–south lines and moving termini away from the city centre. The current expansion plan was approved in the year 2000 under Law 670 and has seen the creation of Line H , as well as the extensions of Line A and Line B westwards. However, in 2015 an alternative plan has been proposed which would make numerous amendments to

4698-567: Is pumped-storage hydroelectricity , which requires locations with large differences in height and access to water. Batteries , and specifically lithium-ion batteries , are also deployed widely. They contain cobalt , which is largely mined in Congo , a politically unstable region. More diverse geographical sourcing may ensure the stability of the supply-chain and their environmental impacts can be reduced by downcycling and recycling. Batteries typically store electricity for short periods; research

4860-412: Is 10.8 km. Construction was due to begin in 2020, once the northern extension of Line H is complete, and as originally planned, the line would have automatic trains and platform screen doors . [REDACTED] Line G will connect Retiro and Caballito / Villa Crespo ; 12.5 km long with 15 new stations. Originally, construction was due to start in 2012–2013, however city legislators opposed

5022-410: Is a "sticky" form of energy, in that it tends to stay in the continent or island where it is produced. It is also multi-sourced; if one source suffers a shortage, electricity can be produced from other sources, including renewable sources . As a result, in the long term it is a relatively resilient means of energy transmission. In the short term, because electricity must be supplied at the same moment it

Buenos Aires Underground - Misplaced Pages Continue

5184-414: Is a 7.4-kilometer (4.6 mi) tramway feeding Line E . The Premetro line opened in 1987. It carries approximately 2,300 passengers daily and is also run by Metrovías . In 2015, SBASE began making plans to refurbish and rebuild many of the stations, including a brand-new central terminal, as part of a plan to modernise the network, with the intent of increasing the amount of rolling stock in circulation. By

5346-801: Is a shortened reference to a metropolitan area . Rapid transit systems such as the Washington Metrorail , Los Angeles Metro Rail , the Miami Metrorail , and the Montreal Metro are generally called the Metro . In Philadelphia , the term "El" is used for the Market–Frankford Line which runs mostly on an elevated track, while the term "subway" applies to the Broad Street Line which is almost entirely underground. Chicago 's commuter rail system that serves

5508-608: Is a single corporate image for the entire transit authority, but the rapid transit uses its own logo that fits into the profile. A transit map is a topological map or schematic diagram used to show the routes and stations in a public transport system. The main components are color-coded lines to indicate each line or service, with named icons to indicate stations. Maps may show only rapid transit or also include other modes of public transport. Transit maps can be found in transit vehicles, on platforms , elsewhere in stations, and in printed timetables . Maps help users understand

5670-506: Is built. Most rapid transit trains are electric multiple units with lengths from three to over ten cars. Crew sizes have decreased throughout history, with some modern systems now running completely unstaffed trains. Other trains continue to have drivers, even if their only role in normal operation is to open and close the doors of the trains at stations. Power is commonly delivered by a third rail or by overhead wires . The whole London Underground network uses fourth rail and others use

5832-424: Is completely at grade (ground-level) and uses third rail current collection. It operates 20 hours a day, 7 days a week at 8-to-30-minute intervals. The Urquiza Line transported 15 million passengers in 2013. Originally the line was planned to run into the centre of Buenos Aires through a long tunnel. But when the tunnel was finally built in 1930, it ended up as Line B . The access ramp still exists and

5994-501: Is consumed, it is somewhat unstable, compared to fuels that can be delivered and stored on-site. However, that can be mitigated by grid energy storage and distributed generation . Solar and wind are variable renewable energy sources that supply electricity intermittently depending on the weather and the time of day. Most electrical grids were constructed for non-intermittent energy sources such as coal-fired power plants. As larger amounts of solar and wind energy are integrated into

6156-708: Is expected to be the first step in the electrification of the chemical industry with an expected large-scale implementation by 2025. Some cities in the United States have started prohibiting gas hookups for new houses, with state laws passed and under consideration to either require electrification or prohibit local requirements. The UK government is experimenting with electrification for home heating to meet its climate goals. Ceramic and Induction heating for cooktops as well as industrial applications (for instance steam crackers) are examples of technologies that can be used to transition away from natural gas. Electricity

6318-678: Is extended to Plaza Italia from Retiro – a segment which in the original plan was part of Line F. In these plans, Line C is extended both northwards in a loop to Retiro bus station and southwards to the Buenos Aires Belgrano Sur Line railway station minor terminal. Such plans are subject to approval by the Buenos Aires City Legislature and would mean the annulment of many of the existing expansion plans outlined in Law 670. Some criticisms include

6480-577: Is in use today, but for maintenance and storage purposes rather than for passenger services. The Urquiza Line itself opened in 1948, so suburban passengers travelling on the Underground's Line B have to transfer to the Urquiza Line at Federico Lacroze station, named after its builder , about 6 km (3.7 mi) from the city centre. Stations are listed from East to West or North to South. Stations in gray have yet to open. Stations in bold are

6642-416: Is necessary, rolling stock with a smaller loading gauge from one sub network may be transported along other lines that use larger trains. On some networks such operations are part of normal services. Most rapid transit systems use conventional standard gauge railway track . Since tracks in subway tunnels are not exposed to rain , snow , or other forms of precipitation , they are often fixed directly to

Buenos Aires Underground - Misplaced Pages Continue

6804-552: Is ongoing into technology with sufficient capacity to last through seasons. Pumped hydro storage and power-to-gas with capacity for multi-month usage has been implemented in some locations. As of 2018, thermal energy storage is typically not as convenient as burning fossil fuels . High upfront costs form a barrier for implementation. Seasonal thermal energy storage requires large capacity; it has been implemented in some high-latitude regions for household heat. The earliest commercial uses of electricity were electroplating and

6966-409: Is produced even during poor weather; during optimal weather energy generation may have to be curtailed . The final mismatch may be covered by using dispatchable energy sources such as hydropower, bioenergy, or natural gas. Energy storage helps overcome barriers for intermittent renewable energy, and is therefore an important aspect of a sustainable energy system. The most commonly used storage method

7128-555: Is referred to simply as "the subway", despite 40% of the system running above ground. The term "L" or "El" is not used for elevated lines in general as the lines in the system are already designated with letters and numbers. The "L" train or L (New York City Subway service) refers specifically to the 14th Street–Canarsie Local line, and not other elevated trains. Similarly, the Toronto Subway is referred to as "the subway", with some of its system also running above ground. These are

7290-472: Is relatively mature in road transport, electric shipping and aviation are still early in their development, hence sustainable liquid fuels may have a larger role to play in these sectors. A large fraction of the world population cannot afford sufficient cooling for their homes. In addition to air conditioning , which requires electrification and additional power demand, passive building design and urban planning will be needed to ensure cooling needs are met in

7452-470: Is said to be overcrowded. As of 2015, two modernisation plans have been presented: City of Buenos Aires law 670, proposing the creation of 3 new lines (F, G, and I), and the PETERS plan, wherein 2 lines are created and the I line is postponed for future expansion, plus several other route amendments. Since 2019, there are no expansions under construction, for the first time in half a century. The entire network

7614-412: Is serviced by at least one specific route with trains stopping at all or some of the line's stations. Most systems operate several routes, and distinguish them by colors, names, numbering, or a combination thereof. Some lines may share track with each other for a portion of their route or operate solely on their own right-of-way. Often a line running through the city center forks into two or more branches in

7776-748: Is the most commonly used term for underground rapid transit systems used by non-native English speakers. Rapid transit systems may be named after the medium by which passengers travel in busy central business districts ; the use of tunnels inspires names such as subway , underground , Untergrundbahn ( U-Bahn ) in German, or the Tunnelbana (T-bana) in Swedish. The use of viaducts inspires names such as elevated ( L or el ), skytrain , overhead , overground or Hochbahn in German. One of these terms may apply to an entire system, even if

7938-555: Is today Line C , a line which would link two of the city's most important rail terminals ( Constitución and Retiro ) together. In 1933 a third company, the Hispano-Argentina Company of Public Works and Finances ( Compañía Hispano–Argentina de Obras Públicas y Finanzas (CHADOPyF) , in Spanish) began construction of the other Underground lines. Line C's first section, Constitución railway station - Diagonal Norte ,

8100-527: Is underway, and it is expected to enlarge the network to 97 kilometers (60 mi) in the future. Similarly, new rolling stock has been incorporated across lines since 2013 to improve capacity and the last of the current orders are set to arrive in 2016 and followed by further orders of new rolling stock, which is expected to increase ridership figures to 1.8 million by 2019. Annual ridership in 2019: 321 296 964. Annual ridership in 2020: 73 650 077. Prior to 2024, standard fares cost AR$ 125 per trip on

8262-627: The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is despite the name considered a commuter rail due to usage of mainline railways. In France, large cities, such as Paris , Marseille and Lyon , feature a Métro . Also the smaller cities of Lille Rennes have a light metro. Furthermore, Brussels in Belgium, and Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands have metro systems in place. Several Southern European contries also have

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8424-506: The Faraday disk , a type of homopolar generator , using a copper disc rotating between the poles of a horseshoe magnet . Faraday's first electromagnetic generator produced a small DC voltage. Around 1832, Hippolyte Pixii improved the magneto by using a wire wound horseshoe, with the extra coils of conductor generating more current, but it was AC. André-Marie Ampère suggested a means of converting current from Pixii's magneto to DC using

8586-752: The Hudson and Manhattan Railroad K-series cars from 1958, the New York City Subway R38 and R42 cars from the late-1960s, and the Nagoya Municipal Subway 3000 series , Osaka Municipal Subway 10 series and MTR M-Train EMUs from the 1970s, were generally only made possible largely due to the relatively generous loading gauges of these systems and also adequate open-air sections to dissipate hot air from these air conditioning units. Especially in some rapid transit systems such as

8748-429: The London Underground . In 1868, New York opened the elevated West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway , initially a cable-hauled line using stationary steam engines . As of 2021 , China has the largest number of rapid transit systems in the world  – 40 in number, running on over 4,500 km (2,800 mi) of track – and was responsible for most of the world's rapid-transit expansion in

8910-480: The Madrid Metro in 1919. The creation of the underground was part of a number of other urban transformations. A system of public water and sewage was first completed in 1886 and expanded in the subsequent decades, and many streets were paved as part of this same urban renewal. The underground network was originally built and operated by three separate private companies and later nationalised in 1939. In 1952 it

9072-740: The Metropolitan Railway opened publicly in London in 1863. High capacity monorails with larger and longer trains can be classified as rapid transit systems. Such monorail systems recently started operating in Chongqing and São Paulo . Light metro is a subclass of rapid transit that has the speed and grade separation of a "full metro" but is designed for smaller passenger numbers. It often has smaller loading gauges, lighter train cars and smaller consists of typically two to four cars. Light metros are typically used as feeder lines into

9234-578: The Montreal Metro (opened 1966) and Sapporo Municipal Subway (opened 1971), their entirely enclosed nature due to their use of rubber-tyred technology to cope with heavy snowfall experienced by both cities in winter precludes any air-conditioning retrofits of rolling stock due to the risk of heating the tunnels to temperatures that would be too hot for passengers and for train operations. In many cities, metro networks consist of lines operating different sizes and types of vehicles. Although these sub-networks may not often be connected by track, in cases when it

9396-485: The National Reorganisation Process military junta. After a long period of stagnation, the Underground began to be expanded again with Lines B and E within the scope of these plans, though only the extension of Line E was commenced and completed before the transition to democracy where expansion was once again stalled. During this time, four Premetro feeder lines were planned leading out from

9558-589: The Prague Metro . The London Underground and Paris Métro are densely built systems with a matrix of crisscrossing lines throughout the cities. The Chicago 'L' has most of its lines converging on The Loop , the main business, financial, and cultural area. Some systems have a circular line around the city center connecting to radially arranged outward lines, such as the Moscow Metro 's Koltsevaya Line and Beijing Subway 's Line 10 . The capacity of

9720-685: The Singapore MRT , Changi Airport MRT station has the alphanumeric code CG2, indicating its position as the 2nd station on the Changi Airport branch of the East West Line. Interchange stations have at least two codes, for example, Raffles Place MRT station has two codes, NS26 and EW14, the 26th station on the North South Line and the 14th station on the East West Line. The Seoul Metro is another example that utilizes

9882-567: The Southern Hemisphere , and the Spanish-speaking world , with the Madrid Metro opening nearly six years later, in 1919. As of 2023, Buenos Aires is the only Argentine city with a metro system. Currently, the underground network's six lines—A, B, C, D, E, and H—comprise 56.7 kilometers (35.2 mi) of routes that serve 90 stations. The network is complemented by the 7.4-kilometre-long (4.6 mi) Premetro line , and

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10044-616: The Urquiza Line and Premetro were offered as 20-year concessions to interested private parties. By 1995, Metrovías took over the Subte under a $ 395 million plan. Discussions on the need to build an underground transportation system in Buenos Aires began in the late nineteenth century, alongside the tramway system , which was one of the most extensive in the world at the time. The first trams appeared in 1870, and by about 1900

10206-581: The Urquiza Line . Construction began in 1927, and this line became Line B when it was inaugurated on 17 October 1930. During 17–18 December, 380,000 passengers travelled on the line's then 32 cars. The line was originally intended to continue above ground, with the current Federico Lacroze station to be the central terminal of the Buenos Aires Central Railway (today the General Urquiza Railway ), however nowadays

10368-450: The deep tube lines . Historically, rapid transit trains used ceiling fans and openable windows to provide fresh air and piston-effect wind cooling to riders. From the 1950s to the 1990s (and in most of Europe until the 2000s), many rapid transit trains from that era were also fitted with forced-air ventilation systems in carriage ceiling units for passenger comfort. Early rapid transit rolling stock fitted with air conditioning , such as

10530-409: The linear motor for propulsion. Some urban rail lines are built to a loading gauge as large as that of main-line railways ; others are built to a smaller one and have tunnels that restrict the size and sometimes the shape of the train compartments. One example is most of the London Underground , which has acquired the informal term "tube train" due to the cylindrical shape of the trains used on

10692-408: The telegraph . In the years 1831–1832, Michael Faraday discovered the operating principle of electromagnetic generators. The principle, later called Faraday's law , is based on an electromotive force generated in an electrical conductor that is subjected to a varying magnetic flux as, for example, a wire moving through a magnetic field. Faraday built the first electromagnetic generator, called

10854-400: The turnkey construction proposed by Chinese firms since the total cost would have been 30% higherthan if it was done with local companies. After this, it was decided to prioritise the other construction projects in the network. [REDACTED] Line I will run Parque Chacabuco to Ciudad Universitaria with 18 new stations. The route length is 12.6 km. The future of this line (which had

11016-432: The 15 world largest subway systems suggested a universal shape composed of a dense core with branches radiating from it. Rapid transit operators have often built up strong brands , often focused on easy recognition – to allow quick identification even in the vast array of signage found in large cities – combined with the desire to communicate speed, safety, and authority. In many cities, there

11178-523: The 1850s, many of these problems were solved by the arc lamp invented by William Petrie and William Staite. The lamp used a magneto-electric generator and had a self-regulating mechanism to control the gap between the two carbon rods. Their light was used to light up the National Gallery in London and was a great novelty at the time. These arc lamps and designs similar to it, powered by large magnetos, were first installed on English lighthouses in

11340-431: The 1970s and 1980s—from 49% of the world's population in 1970 to 76% in 1990. By the early 2010s, 81–83% of the world's population had access to electricity. Clean energy is mostly generated in the form of electricity, such as renewable energy or nuclear power . Switching to these energy sources requires that end uses, such as transport and heating, be electrified for the world's energy systems to be sustainable. In

11502-488: The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack and the 2005 " 7/7 " terrorist bombings on the London Underground. Some rapid transport trains have extra features such as wall sockets, cellular reception, typically using a leaky feeder in tunnels and DAS antennas in stations, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity. The first metro system in the world to enable full mobile phone reception in underground stations and tunnels

11664-621: The 2010s. The world's longest single-operator rapid transit system by route length is the Shanghai Metro . The world's largest single rapid transit service provider by number of stations (472 stations in total) is the New York City Subway . The busiest rapid transit systems in the world by annual ridership are the Shanghai Metro, Tokyo subway system , Seoul Metro and the Moscow Metro . The term Metro

11826-667: The 2015–2019 period for the Underground at a conference with other South American mass transit operators in Brazil. One of the largest changes to be made during this period was the upgrading of signalling systems on all lines, with the exception of Line E . Lines A and B were to receive Automatic Train Operation systems, replacing their ATS and ATP systems respectively, whilst lines C, D and H were to receive Communications Based Train Control systems. The implementation of these systems

11988-466: The 20th century; by 1944, its main routes were completed, with the addition of its newest line occurring as late as 2007. The pace of expansion fell sharply after the Second World War . In the late 1990s, expansion resumed at a quicker pace, and four new lines were planned for the network. Despite this, the network's expansion has been largely exceeded by the transportation needs of the city and

12150-532: The 21st century, most new expansions and systems are located in Asia, with China becoming the world's leader in metro expansion, operating some of the largest and busiest systems while possessing almost 60 cities that are operating, constructing or planning a rapid transit system . Rapid transit is used for local transport in cities , agglomerations , and metropolitan areas to transport large numbers of people often short distances at high frequency . The extent of

12312-405: The 26-kilometre-long (16 mi) Urquiza suburban line , with 17 more stations in total. Traffic on lines moves on the left because Argentina drove on the left at the time the system opened. Over a million passengers use the network, which also provides connections with the city's extensive commuter rail and bus rapid transport networks. The network expanded rapidly during the early decades of

12474-619: The Argentine National Congress, a decision which was ultimately not taken, favouring instead an underground tramway. The first Underground line was opened on 1 December 1913 and was built by the Anglo-Argentine Tramways Company (AATC), which had been given permission to build in 1909. That line was made up of one of the existing sections of Line A , linking the stations of Plaza de Mayo and Plaza Miserere . 170,000 passengers took part in

12636-694: The CHADOPyF lines (C, D and E) had formal connections between them. However, the rate of expansion of the network during this period had slowed considerably and only one station was opened during the 1970s. Four different long-term expansion proposals were put forward between 1964 and 1991 which all proposed adding numerous lines to the network as well as extending the existing ones. Given the political instability characteristic of Argentina during this time, none of these proposals came to fruition, though aspects of them have been incorporated into contemporary expansion plans. One additional proposal put forward in 1973 saw

12798-399: The Law 670 plan. [REDACTED] Line H 's extensions to the north from Corrientes to Plaza Francia, serving intermediate stations at Córdoba, Santa Fe and Las Heras, and south from Hospitales with stations at Nueva Pompeya and Sáenz, were initiated with ground-breaking ceremonies on 17 January 2012. Since then, following concerns that the construction of Plaza Francia station would damage

12960-549: The Subte, regardless of travelled distance. After 20 trips, the fare is discounted 20%; after 30 trips, 30%, and after 40 trips the fare is discounted 40%. The Premetro has a flat rate of AR$ 43.75. Fares have been increased multiple times due to devaluation of the Argentine Peso. While tokens have been used in the past, at present riders use contactless cards called SUBE , which are rechargeable with multiple forms of payment. Previously, single or multi-use paper cards with

13122-437: The U.S. and Canada the use of heat pumps (HP) is economic if powered with solar photovoltaic (PV) devices to offset propane heating in rural areas and natural gas heating in cities. A 2023 study investigated: (1) a residential natural gas-based heating system and grid electricity, (2) a residential natural gas-based heating system with PV to serve the electric load, (3) a residential HP system with grid electricity, and (4)

13284-475: The U.S. from 1870 to 1880 each man-hour was provided with .55 hp. In 1950 each man-hour was provided with 5 hp, or a 2.8% annual increase, declining to 1.5% from 1930 to 1950. The period of electrification of factories and households from 1900 to 1940, was one of high productivity and economic growth. Most studies of electrification and electric grids focused on industrial core countries in Europe and

13446-570: The UK, Thomson-Houston Electric Company and Westinghouse in the US and Siemens in Germany . By 1890 there were 1000 central stations in operation. The 1902 census listed 3,620 central stations. By 1925 half of power was provided by central stations. One of the biggest problems facing the early power companies was the hourly variable demand. When lighting was practically the only use of electricity, demand

13608-582: The Underground system as part of Line B and operated by the Underground operator Metrovías . As a result, it has similar characteristics to Line B, using third rail electrification and standard gauge as opposed to the broad gauge used in the Buenos Aires commuter rail network. It runs from the Federico Lacroze terminus in the barrio of Chacarita , to General Lemos terminus, Campo de Mayo in Greater Buenos Aires . The line

13770-500: The United States. Elsewhere, wired electricity was often carried on and through the circuits of colonial rule. Some historians and sociologists considered the interplay of colonial politics and the development of electric grids: in India, Rao showed that linguistics-based regional politics—not techno-geographical considerations—led to the creation of two separate grids; in colonial Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), Chikowero showed that electrification

13932-457: The adoption of heat pumps by also locking in both electricity and heating cost growth. The study concludes: "The real internal rate of return for such prosumer technologies is 20x greater than a long-term certificate of deposit , which demonstrates the additional value PV and HP technologies offer prosumers over comparably secure investment vehicles while making substantive reductions in carbon emissions." This approach can be improved by integrating

14094-465: The battery to power electromagnets. This type of dynamo was made by several people in 1866. The first practical generator, the Gramme machine , was made by Z.T. Gramme, who sold many of these machines in the 1870s. British engineer R.E.B. Crompton improved the generator to allow better air cooling and made other mechanical improvements. Compound winding, which gave more stable voltage with load, improved

14256-478: The beginning of rapid transit. Initial experiences with steam engines, despite ventilation, were unpleasant. Experiments with pneumatic railways failed in their extended adoption by cities. In 1890, the City & South London Railway was the first electric-traction rapid transit railway, which was also fully underground. Prior to opening, the line was to be called the "City and South London Subway", thus introducing

14418-609: The city administration the power to license building in the city's subsoil and for this reason, subsequent drafts were submitted directly to this ministry. In 1894, when it was decided to construct the Congress building in its present location, the underground idea was revived, since it would shorten the travel time between the Casa Rosada and the Congress. In 1896 Miguel Cané, former mayor of Buenos Aires (1892–1893), expressed

14580-459: The city centre. The new lines will mean that more than two million inhabitants of Buenos Aires (accounting for about 70% of the city centre's population) will live within 400 metres of a metro station. The new lines will run between 56 new stations. [REDACTED] Line F will run from Barracas to Plaza Italia in Palermo and will include 16 new stations. The planned route length of this line

14742-466: The context of sustainable energy , electrification refers to the build-out of super grids with energy storage to accommodate the energy transition to renewable energy and the switch of end-uses to electricity. The electrification of particular sectors of the economy, particularly out of context, is called by modified terms such as factory electrification , household electrification , rural electrification and railway electrification . In

14904-509: The context of sustainable energy , terms such as transport electrification (referring to electric vehicles ) or heating electrification (referring to heat pumps ) are used. It may also apply to changing industrial processes such as smelting, melting, separating or refining from coal or coke heating, or to chemical processes to some type of electric process such as electric arc furnace , electric induction or resistance heating, or electrolysis or electrolytic separating. Electrification

15066-534: The current termini. Small interchange icons indicate interchanges under construction There are four ghost stations on the Buenos Aires Underground, two on Line A and two on Line E . The Line A stations – Pasco Sur and Alberti Norte – were closed in 1953 since stations in that part of the line were grouped very closely together and having fewer stops improved the line's frequency. Pasco Sur remains in very good condition, while Alberti Norte

15228-414: The display of the transit network. Often this has the effect of compressing the distance between stations in the outer area of the system, and expanding distances between those close to the center. Some systems assign unique alphanumeric codes to each of their stations to help commuters identify them, which briefly encodes information about the line it is on, and its position on the line. For example, on

15390-523: The electric demand curve by eliminating the extreme summer peak electric supply requirements. However, heat pumps and resistive heating alone will not be sufficient for the electrification of industrial heat. This because in several processes higher temperatures are required which cannot be achieved with these types of equipment. For example, for the production of ethylene via steam cracking temperatures as high as 900 °C are required. Hence, drastically new processes are required. Nevertheless, power-to-heat

15552-546: The end of 2015, the Intendente Saguier terminal had been refurbished, though other works on the line were delayed. The Premetro was originally intended to include a number of feeder lines to the Underground network, including a second one to Line E and ones on lines C and D . The Premetro project was largely abandoned since it occurred in Argentina's transition to democracy from the military junta and then

15714-611: The entire metropolitan area is called Metra (short for Met ropolitan Ra il), while its rapid transit system that serves the city is called the "L" . Boston's subway system is known locally as "The T". In Atlanta , the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority goes by the acronym "MARTA." In the San Francisco Bay Area , residents refer to Bay Area Rapid Transit by its acronym "BART". The New York City Subway

15876-653: The expected increase in passenger numbers as a result of the connection with Line D began arriving in the country in 2015. The future expansion outlined in Law 670 would see the addition of three new lines. These lines' routes have already been approved by the Legislature of the City in Law 670. 39.3 km will be added to the network, expanding it to about 97 km in total length and providing several stations with various interchanges. This will also create new north–south routes, resulting in an appropriate network to avoid

16038-537: The failure of the PETERS plan to account for the extension of the Belgrano Sur Line to Constitucion railway station , meaning that Line C's extension to the minor Buenos Aires terminal would be redundant, and that the Retiro Norte node would also be made redundant by the planned Red de Expresos Regionales commuter rail tunnels which are to link the three major railway terminals of the city. Much of

16200-750: The first electrical engineering firms in the world. Various forms of incandescent light bulbs had numerous inventors; however, the most successful early bulbs were those that used a carbon filament sealed in a high vacuum. These were invented by Joseph Swan in 1878 in Britain and by Thomas Edison in 1879 in the US. Edison’s lamp was more successful than Swan’s because Edison used a thinner filament, giving it higher resistance and thus conducting much less current. Edison began commercial production of carbon filament bulbs in 1880. Swan's light began commercial production in 1881. Swan's house, in Low Fell , Gateshead,

16362-516: The floor rather than resting on ballast , such as normal railway tracks. An alternate technology, using rubber tires on narrow concrete or steel roll ways , was pioneered on certain lines of the Paris Métro and Mexico City Metro , and the first completely new system to use it was in Montreal , Canada. On most of these networks, additional horizontal wheels are required for guidance, and

16524-403: The grid, changes have to be made to the energy system to ensure that the supply of electricity is matched to demand. In 2019, these sources generated 8.5% of worldwide electricity, a share that has grown rapidly. There are various ways to make the electricity system more flexible. In many places, wind and solar production are complementary on a daily and a season scale: There is more wind during

16686-439: The interconnections between different parts of the system; for example, they show the interchange stations where passengers can transfer between lines. Unlike conventional maps, transit maps are usually not geographically accurate, but emphasize the topological connections among the different stations. The graphic presentation may use straight lines and fixed angles, and often a fixed minimum distance between stations, to simplify

16848-621: The line's first trip. On 1 April 1914 the line was to expand to Río de Janeiro station and on 1 July was extended to Primera Junta Station. In 1912, the Lacroze Hermanos company won a concession to build another Underground line. The company was a competitor to the Anglo-Argentine company, operating tramways in Buenos Aires as well as the Buenos Aires Central Railway , which later became part of

17010-602: The lines of the Lyon Metro includes a section of rack (cog) railway , while the Carmelit , in Haifa, is an underground funicular . For elevated lines, another alternative is the monorail , which can be built either as straddle-beam monorails or as a suspended monorail . While monorails have never gained wide acceptance outside Japan, there are some such as Chongqing Rail Transit 's monorail lines which are widely used in

17172-561: The lines while they are closed. The Subte operations are radio-controlled and monitored remotely from the Metrovías Central Operations Post (PCO in Spanish). There 24 operators have been monitoring four of the six subway lines (lines C and H have separate monitoring) since 2001. As of 2015, last formations arrive at their respective terminals at approximately 11:30 pm, where maintenance and cleaning operations take place until about 4:00 am. The PreMetro line E2

17334-509: The load factor around the world was greater than 50%, mainly due to motor load. Before widespread power distribution from central stations, many factories, large hotels, apartment and office buildings had their own power generation. Often this was economically attractive because the exhaust steam could be used for building and industrial process heat, which today is known as cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP). Most self-generated power became uneconomical as power prices fell. As late as

17496-462: The load factor. The way this was eventually accomplished was through motor load. Motors are used more during daytime and many run continuously. Electric street railways were ideal for load balancing. Many electric railways generated their own power and also sold power and operated distribution systems. The load factor adjusted upward by the turn of the 20th century—at Pearl Street the load factor increased from 19.3% in 1884 to 29.4% in 1908. By 1929,

17658-807: The lowest priority in the expansion plans) is currently uncertain since it has been proposed that a Metrobus line be built instead, which would follow the same trajectory as the line. In October 2015, the city of Buenos Aires together with the Inter-American Development Bank presented a 150-page plan for the Underground called the Strategic and Technical Plan for the Expansion of the Subterranean Network ( Plan Estratégico y Técnico para la Expansión de la Red de Subtes , or PETERS), highlighting past expansion efforts and

17820-557: The main rapid transit system. For instance, the Wenhu Line of the Taipei Metro serves many relatively sparse neighbourhoods and feeds into and complements the high capacity metro lines. Some systems have been built from scratch, others are reclaimed from former commuter rail or suburban tramway systems that have been upgraded, and often supplemented with an underground or elevated downtown section. Ground-level alignments with

17982-547: The mid 1850s, but the technology suffered power limitations. The first successful arc lamp (the Yablochkov candle ) was developed by Russian engineer Pavel Yablochkov using the Gramme generator . Its advantage lay in the fact that it did not require the use of a mechanical regulator like its predecessors. It was first exhibited at the Paris Exposition of 1878 and was heavily promoted by Gramme. The arc light

18144-426: The modernisation in recent years has centred around the Underground's rolling stock , with large scale renewals and refurbishments of existing fleets, in particular on Lines A and H. Along with this came the construction of new underground workshops and storage areas on lines A, H and E, as well as the expansion of the existing facilities on Lines B and D. In September 2015, the president of SBASE highlighted plans for

18306-593: The natural beauty of the area surrounding the Recoleta Cemetery , the station was relocated to Facultad de Derecho next to the University of Buenos Aires 's faculty of law, with the change delaying the opening of the station until 2018. Cordoba and Las Heras were opened in December 2015, while Santa Fe opened in mid-2016, providing the line with a connection to Line D. The 20 new Alstom trains to serve

18468-475: The need to adapt plans to the current needs of the city. In this version of the Underground, Line I is cancelled while Line G takes a different route through the centre of the city terminating at Constitucion railway station after going through the neighbourhood of San Telmo , rather than through Retiro railway station . Other changes include a Retiro Norte node where lines F and H terminate, rather than at Plaza Italia and Retiro respectively, while Line E

18630-729: The need to build an underground railway similar to the one in London There were numerous proposals at the time to build an electric aerial tramway , with one such line to go down the Avenida de Mayo . One proposal was the 1889 Le Tellier proposal, which envisioned multiple lines running along the city's wider avenues with the trams moved using cables and would hang from steel rails fixed to 6-metre-high (20 ft) steel and iron posts positioned in 10-to-15-metre (33 to 49 ft) intervals. The lines would take 24 months to build, and construction would commence 3 months after their approval by

18792-418: The network map "readable" by illiterate people, this system has since become an "icon" of the system. Compared to other modes of transport, rapid transit has a good safety record, with few accidents. Rail transport is subject to strict safety regulations , with requirements for procedure and maintenance to minimize risk. Head-on collisions are rare due to use of double track, and low operating speeds reduce

18954-459: The network's signage to match the new schemes. In 2012, the role of Metrovías was lessened to simply operating the lines, while maintenance of infrastructure became the responsibility of SBASE. The relationship between Mauricio Macri 's mayoral administration and Metrovías became increasingly strained, with the Government of Buenos Aires issuing multiple fines to the operator. The relationship

19116-400: The network, its rolling stock , and infrastructure, and administers its expansion and budget. One cosmetic change carried out in the 1990s under private operation was the re-assignation of the colours of the lines, with Lines B and D switching colours, Line C changing from purple to blue and Line E changing from yellow to purple. The change of colours was also accompanied by a standardisation of

19278-402: The next vehicle will arrive, and expected travel times. The standardized GTFS data format for transit information allows many third-party software developers to produce web and smartphone app programs which give passengers customized updates regarding specific transit lines and stations of interest. Mexico City Metro uses a unique pictogram for each station. Originally intended to help make

19440-530: The night and in winter, when solar energy production is low. Linking distant geographical regions through long-distance transmission lines allows for further cancelling out of variability. Energy demand can be shifted in time through energy demand management and the use of smart grids , matching the times when variable energy production is highest. With storage, energy produced in excess can be released when needed. Building additional capacity for wind and solar generation can help to ensure that enough electricity

19602-958: The occurrence and severity of rear-end collisions and derailments . Fire is more of a danger underground, such as the King's Cross fire in London in November 1987, which killed 31 people. Systems are generally built to allow evacuation of trains at many places throughout the system. High platforms , usually over 1 meter / 3 feet, are a safety risk, as people falling onto the tracks have trouble climbing back. Platform screen doors are used on some systems to eliminate this danger. Rapid transit facilities are public spaces and may suffer from security problems: petty crimes , such as pickpocketing and baggage theft, and more serious violent crimes , as well as sexual assaults on tightly packed trains and platforms. Security measures include video surveillance , security guards , and conductors . In some countries

19764-603: The only two North American systems that are primarily called "subways". In most of Southeast Asia and in Taiwan , rapid transit systems are primarily known by the acronym MRT . The meaning varies from one country to another. In Indonesia , the acronym stands for Moda Raya Terpadu or Integrated Mass [Transit] Mode in English. In the Philippines , it stands for Metro Rail Transit . Two underground lines use

19926-434: The operating characteristics of generators. The improvements in electrical generation technology in the 19th century increased its efficiency and reliability greatly. The first magnetos only converted a few percent of mechanical energy to electricity. By the end of the 19th century the highest efficiencies were over 90%. Sir Humphry Davy invented the carbon arc lamp in 1802 upon discovering that electricity could produce

20088-706: The order in which the lines were opened. In 1952, the CTCBA was absorbed by the Buenos Aires Transport General Administration (AGTBA), and in 1963, the administration was dissolved and the underground network became the property of the Subterráneos de Buenos Aires company (SBA). In the early years of nationalisation, interchanges were provided between the lines previously belonging to the three different companies that built them (AATC, CHADOPyF and Lacroze) since previously only

20250-587: The outset. Budapest , Chicago , Glasgow , Boston and New York City all converted or purpose-designed and built electric rail services. Advancements in technology have allowed new automated services. Hybrid solutions have also evolved, such as tram-train and premetro , which incorporate some of the features of rapid transit systems. In response to cost, engineering considerations and topological challenges some cities have opted to construct tram systems, particularly those in Australia, where density in cities

20412-539: The overground service forms part of the Urquiza Line instead. By the 1920s, the Argentine government was dissatisfied with the lack of progress the AATC (which enjoyed a near-monopoly on the city's tramways by this point) had made in expanding the rest of the network and thus revoked its right to build any more lines in 1930, seeking instead another company to do so. By this point, the AATC had only built 48 metres of what

20574-612: The privatisation of the railways , which was a difficult time economically for the country, and only Line E2 was built. New Premetro feeder lines have been proposed in recent years, however, the role of the network has given way to the new Metrobus network which covers many of the same routes originally intended for the Premetro. Línea Urquiza (in English: Urquiza Line) is a 26-kilometer (16 mi) suburban electric commuter rail line originally designed to be part of

20736-549: The property of the City of Buenos Aires. In December 2021, "Emova Movilidad S.A." took over the concession of the Buenos Aires Underground for 12 years. Emova is also part of the Roggio Group, associated with former operator Metrovías. The Subte opened in 1913, becoming the 13th underground system in the world, as well as the first in Latin America , the Southern Hemisphere and the Hispanophone world, followed by

20898-908: The rapid transit system varies greatly between cities, with several transport strategies. Some systems may extend only to the limits of the inner city, or to its inner ring of suburbs with trains making frequent station stops. The outer suburbs may then be reached by a separate commuter rail network where more widely spaced stations allow higher speeds. In some cases the differences between urban rapid transit and suburban systems are not clear. Rapid transit systems may be supplemented by other systems such as trolleybuses , regular buses , trams , or commuter rail. This combination of transit modes serves to offset certain limitations of rapid transit such as limited stops and long walking distances between outside access points. Bus or tram feeder systems transport people to rapid transit stops. Each rapid transit system consists of one or more lines , or circuits. Each line

21060-412: The rate charged by the gas company, so the town council decided to use electricity. The system lit up arc lamps on the main streets and incandescent lamps on a few side streets with hydroelectric power. By 1882 between 8 and 10 households were connected, with a total of 57 lights. The system was not a commercial success, and the town reverted to gas. The first large scale central distribution supply plant

21222-484: The replacement of 14 km of track on Lines C and E. The total investment in this period for these new projects was set at US$ 1.34 billion. Rapid transit Modern services on rapid transit systems are provided on designated lines between stations typically using electric multiple units on railway tracks . Some systems use guided rubber tires , magnetic levitation ( maglev ), or monorail . The stations typically have high platforms, without steps inside

21384-542: The rubber tires. However, they have higher maintenance costs and are less energy efficient. They also lose traction when weather conditions are wet or icy, preventing above-ground use of the Montréal Metro and limiting it on the Sapporo Municipal Subway, but not rubber-tired systems in other cities. Some cities with steep hills incorporate mountain railway technologies in their metros. One of

21546-663: The suburbs, allowing a higher service frequency in the center. This arrangement is used by many systems, such as the Copenhagen Metro , the Milan Metro , the Oslo Metro , the Istanbul Metro and the New York City Subway . Alternatively, there may be a single central terminal (often shared with the central railway station), or multiple interchange stations between lines in the city center, for instance in

21708-495: The system was in a crisis exacerbated by the monopolisation of the lines, which had concentrated under the ownership of fewer companies during the electrification of the system. In this context, the first proposals for the building of an underground system were made, along with requests for government grants: first, in 1886, and several more in 1889. However, the Ministry of Interior ( Ministerio del Interior , in Spanish) denied

21870-714: The term subway . In Thailand , it stands for Metropolitan Rapid Transit , previously using the Mass Rapid Transit name. Outside of Southeast Asia, Kaohsiung and Taoyuan, Taiwan , have their own MRT systems which stands for Mass Rapid Transit , as with Singapore and Malaysia . In general rapid transit is a synonym for "metro" type transit, though sometimes rapid transit is defined to include "metro", commuter trains and grade separated light rail . Also high-capacity bus-based transit systems can have features similar to "metro" systems. The opening of London's steam-hauled Metropolitan Railway in 1863 marked

22032-414: The term Subway into railway terminology. Both railways, alongside others, were eventually merged into London Underground . The 1893 Liverpool Overhead Railway was designed to use electric traction from the outset. The technology quickly spread to other cities in Europe , the United States, Argentina, and Canada, with some railways being converted from steam and others being designed to be electric from

22194-519: The three companies – unusually for an underground network – continuing to run their respective lines, which were financed entirely with private capital, unlike the country's railways which had been largely dependent on subsidies. The entire network was centralised and nationalised in 1939 under the management of the Transport Corporation of Buenos Aires (CTCBA) and the lines were given their current lettered naming scheme, from A to D in

22356-511: The trains, requiring custom-made trains in order to minimize gaps between train and platform. They are typically integrated with other public transport and often operated by the same public transport authorities . Some rapid transit systems have at-grade intersections between a rapid transit line and a road or between two rapid transit lines. The world's first rapid transit system was the partially underground Metropolitan Railway which opened in 1863 using steam locomotives , and now forms part of

22518-535: The unification of the city's commuter rail lines through tunnels and incorporated into the Buenos Aires Underground, and while this was also shelved, it was included in the Red de Expresos Regionales proposal. During the 1960s and 70s, efforts were primarily concentrated on Line E, which was re-routed from its terminus at Constitución to the centre of the city at the Plaza de Mayo in an attempt to boost passenger figures, something which proved to be successful. The segment

22680-601: The use of communications-based train control : the minimum headway can reach 90 seconds, but many systems typically use 120 seconds to allow for recovery from delays. Typical capacity lines allow 1,200 people per train, giving 36,000 passengers per hour per direction . However, much higher capacities are attained in East Asia with ranges of 75,000 to 85,000 people per hour achieved by MTR Corporation 's urban lines in Hong Kong. Rapid transit topologies are determined by

22842-480: The western termini of Lines D and E as well as one in Puerto Madero , however only Line E2 was completed in 1987 and these plans were scrapped in 1994 when operation of the Underground changed hands. In 1994 the operation of the network was privatised , along with the country's railways , and is now managed by Metrovías . SBASE (as part of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires) maintained ownership of

23004-559: Was Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, which launched its first underground mobile phone network using AMPS in 1989. Many metro systems, such as the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and the Berlin U-Bahn, provide mobile data connections in their tunnels for various network operators. The technology used for public, mass rapid transit has undergone significant changes in the years since

23166-401: Was absorbed by a unified state administration, in 1963 it became the property of a newly founded company, which changed hands in 1979. The Subte then entered into a concession model in the mid-1990s through which private sector parties were to submit bids to execute investment plans "designed and funded" by the state, while implemented by the concessionaire. All the Underground lines, along with

23328-514: Was already under way on Lines C and H as of September 2015, and was due to be completed on other lines before 2019. Line D was also to receive platform screen doors along with the CBTC system. Other works to be carried out during this period include the improvement of disabled access in older stations, new ventilation systems on lines B, C and D, improvements in electrification (such as replacing overhead lines and substations) on lines A, B, C and D and

23490-491: Was called "the greatest engineering achievement of the 20th Century" by the National Academy of Engineering , and it continues in both rich and poor countries. Electric lighting is highly desirable. The light is much brighter than oil or gas lamps, and there is no soot. Although early electricity was very expensive compared to today, it was far cheaper and more convenient than oil or gas lighting. Electric lighting

23652-467: Was considered that the two former Line E stations and tunnels should be used for Line F since the line's southern terminus would be there and that part of the route would be roughly similar to the old Line E. However, it was eventually decided that the line should use new tunnels in that section due to its sharp curves. There have been several plans to expand the Underground system as a whole. The Underground's routes are said to spread out like "branches of

23814-489: Was converted into an electrical substation. The Line E stations were closed in 1966, after the line was re-routed from Constitución railway station (where it connected with Line C ) closer to the centre of the city, leaving the San José vieja and Constitución stations out of the network, a move which tripled traffic on the line. The two stations have subsequently been used as workshops and storage areas. At one point it

23976-899: Was developed further. Other Central European countries also have metro lines, for example in the cities of Budapest (Hungary), Prague (Czech Republic) and Warsaw (Poland). In Eastern Europe , metro systems are in operation in Minsk (Belarus), Kyiv (Ukraine), Riga (Latvia), Vilnius (Lithuania) and Moscow (Russia). In Southeastern European countries, there are metro systems in Athens and Thessaloniki (Greece), Belgrade (Serbia), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Istanbul (Turkey). In Northern Europe , rapid transit systems exist in Copenhagen (Denmark), Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden) and Helsinki (Finland). Various terms are used for rapid transit systems around North America . The term metro

24138-469: Was further strained in 2013 when Metrovías' 20-year concession ended and has since been renewed on a year-by-year basis, leaving the door open for a state-run or mixed operation. Among the public, privatisation has proved unpopular, with a survey carried out in 2015 indicating that 82% of passengers would like the Underground to be operated by the state instead of a private company. In more recent years, Line A and Line B have been extended westwards, adding

24300-422: Was high during the first hours before the workday and the evening hours when demand peaked. As a consequence, most early electric companies did not provide daytime service, with two-thirds providing no daytime service in 1897. The ratio of the average load to the peak load of a central station is called the load factor. For electric companies to increase profitability and lower rates, it was necessary to increase

24462-430: Was inaugurated on 9 November 1934 by Agustín P. Justo , then President of Argentina. CHADOPyF opened Line D in 1937, from Catedral through Tribunales ; with Line E following later in 1944, from Constitución to San Juan y Urquiza, later joining with Boedo station . By this point the advent of the Second World War had slowed expansion significantly, but the network was 29 km (18 mi) in length with each of

24624-565: Was installed along the half mile length of Avenue de l'Opéra , Place du Theatre Francais and around the Place de l'Opéra in 1878. R. E. B. Crompton developed a more sophisticated design in 1878 which gave a much brighter and steadier light than the Yablochkov candle. In 1878, he formed Crompton & Co. and began to manufacture, sell and install the Crompton lamp. His concern was one of

24786-647: Was low and suburbs tended to spread out . Since the 1970s, the viability of underground train systems in Australian cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne , has been reconsidered and proposed as a solution to over-capacity. Melbourne had tunnels and stations developed in the 1970s and opened in 1980. The first line of the Sydney Metro was opened in 2019. Since the 1960s, many new systems have been introduced in Europe , Asia and Latin America . In

24948-485: Was more efficient than small steam engines and because line shafts and belts had high friction losses. Electric motors were more efficient than human or animal power. The conversion efficiency for animal feed to work is between 4 and 5% compared to over 30% for electricity generated using coal. Electrification and economic growth are highly correlated. In economics, the efficiency of electrical generation has been shown to correlate with technological progress . In

25110-401: Was nationalised in 1939, remaining in state hands and operation until the mid-1990s, when it entered into a concession model. The previously state-operated lines were offered as 20-year concessions to interested private parties; the two complementary lines were also included in this privatisation, and all were operated by Metrovías from 1995 to 2021, though the network and rolling stock remain

25272-445: Was only meant to be temporary, but was never reverted even after the works were completed. There have been numerous petitions as well as a campaign by the City Ombudsman to extend services to 1:30 am on weekdays and 3:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays. These proposals have been rejected by Subterráneos de Buenos Aires, which stated in 2015 that the reduced schedule is needed in order to carry out infrastructure modernisation works across all

25434-402: Was opened at Holborn Viaduct in London in 1882. Equipped with 1000 incandescent lightbulbs that replaced the older gas lighting, the station lit up Holborn Circus including the offices of the General Post Office and the famous City Temple church . The supply was a direct current at 110 V; due to power loss in the copper wires, this amounted to 100 V for the customer. Within weeks,

25596-467: Was opened by president Arturo Illia in 1966 and Spain offered CAF -General Eléctrica Española trains in order to cancel part of the debt it had accrued with Argentina; trains which continue to serve on the line today. The line was extended westward to José María Moreno in 1973, in what would be the only expansion of the decade. In 1979, SBA became Subterráneos de Buenos Aires Sociedad del Estado (SBASE) under Buenos Aires mayor Osvaldo Cacciatore of

25758-496: Was racially based and served the white settler community while excluding Africans; and in Mandate Palestine, Shamir claimed that British electric concessions to a Zionist-owned company deepened the economic disparities between Arabs and Jews. While electrification of cities and homes has existed since the late 19th century, about 840 million people (mostly in Africa) had no access to grid electricity in 2017, down from 1.2 billion in 2010. Vast gains in electrification were seen in

25920-400: Was so much safer than oil or gas that some companies were able to pay for the electricity with the insurance savings. In 1851, Charles Babbage stated: One of the inventions most important to a class of highly skilled workers (engineers) would be a small motive power - ranging perhaps from the force of from half a man to that of two horses, which might commence as well as cease its action at

26082-439: Was the world's first to have working light bulbs installed. The Lit & Phil Library in Newcastle , was the first public room lit by electric light, and the Savoy Theatre was the first public building in the world lit entirely by electricity. The first central station providing public power is believed to be one at Godalming , Surrey, UK, in autumn 1881. The system was proposed after the town failed to reach an agreement on

26244-440: Was to feed a carbon electrode by gravity and maintain the gap with a pair of electromagnets, one of which retracted the upper carbon after the arc was started and the second controlled a brake on the gravity feed. Arc lamps of the time had very intense light output – in the range of 4,000 candlepower (candelas) – and released a lot of heat, and they were a fire hazard, all of which made them inappropriate for lighting homes. In

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