Panama Metro Invests $90 Million in Train Maintenance

The Panama Metro will conduct long-term maintenance on its train fleet, which has been in operation since 2014, for which it will invest $90 million. There are 47 trains, each with five cars, operating on both lines, serving an average of 380,000 users daily and covering a total of 9,400 kilometers per day on Line 1 and 7,400 kilometers on Line 2 on weekdays. In total, 235 cars will undergo long-cycle maintenance, with service intervals of five, six, eight, ten, and twelve years. The metro's normal operation will be ensured while the trains are being serviced. Of this amount, $81.5 million is for long-cycle maintenance services, while $7.8 million will be used to adapt the workshop for heavy maintenance. Nearly six years ago, a contract was approved for the maintenance of Line 1 trains, which was subject to two amendments that increased its cost by more than $10 million. Another tender is for the cleaning of stations, trains, and workshops for $6.3 million. The reference price set by the Panama Metro for this project is $90,898,435. Additionally, it has launched a tender for the preventive and corrective maintenance of the railway tracks and catenaries of Line 2, as well as the workshop equipment for both lines, for $20.1 million. The contractor will have 58 months, nearly five years, to complete the work. The maintenance will involve the 20 trains of Line 2, in which two motor cars with two driving cabs per train will be serviced, for a total of forty cars, including couplers. Now, the trains of Line 2, operational since 2019, are being incorporated to continue the plan. To avoid affecting its operation, it is planned that long-cycle maintenance activities for more than one train at a time will be carried out from 9:00 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. During peak commercial service hours, only one immobilized train from the total fleet will be allowed to be scheduled. Other projects The Panama Metro is also preparing a tender for the preventive and corrective maintenance of the air conditioning and minor ventilation system of Line 2 for $2.5 million. Additionally, one trailer car per train, for a total of 20, will be worked on. There is also one million dollars for spare parts and half a million dollars for special interventions not contemplated. The maintenance will be carried out in the yards and workshops of both lines. On Line 2, two motor cars with a cab and two intermediate motor cars per train, plus one trailer car, will be worked on. The pre-meeting for this public act will take place on January 21, while the submission of proposals is set for March 5.