| Ie-Tram Yucatán | |
| Locale: | Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico |
| Transit Type: | Bus rapid transit |
| Lines: | 5 |
| Stations: | 67 |
| Began Operation: | 16 December 2023 |
The Ie-Tram Yucatán is a bus network in the city of Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico and nearby towns.
Despite the name it is a fully electric bus rapid transit (BRT) network, making Mérida the fourth city in Mexico to have electric buses and the first to have a fully electric BRT system.
The system operates entirely using buses of the Ie-Tram model (named for the system itself), manufactured by the Spanish company Irizar.
When completed the bus network will be 116 kilometers long, and it will feature bus lanes. The network will have 67 bus stops, of which 46 will be in the bus lanes and 21 will be located in the streets. There are terminals near the Tren Maya stations and a central station located near the new Parque de La Plancha.[1]
The Ie-Tram Yucatán began service on 15 December 2023, coinciding with the opening of the connecting Tren Maya.[2]
The Ie-Tram is being constructed on top of old railroad right-of-way that passed within the city of Mérida. These tracks have been abandoned since 2020, and the state of Yucatán declared them to be in disuse. Hence, these tracks are able to be used for public transport, and the Ie-Tram can avoid road traffic for part of its route.The system will cost 2,820 million pesos, of which state government of Yucatán will contribute 61% of the investment; the federal government of Mexico, through Banobras, will contribute 23%; and private initiatives will contribute the 16% that will be used for the acquisition of the electric buses.
On 24 January 2023, the governor of Yucatán, Mauricio Vila Dosal, attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the section of the Ie-Tram connecting Teya and Kanasín.
The first stage of construction comprises approximately 5 km that goes from the park of La Plancha on 39th Avenue, to the exit in the Los Heroes division in the periphery of Mérida, being the first of several stages of its construction. This stage includes the removal of the old railway tracks, then the construction of the exclusive lanes, sidewalks, cycleways, traffic lights, improvements of the urban environment, and signs along the route.
The next stages of construction includes the lines to Umán, Poxilá and the Faculty of Engineering.
The buses travel on exclusive, preferential and mixed lanes. The plan also includes charging points for the buses, bus stations, the remodeling of the urban environment and complementary works for the union with other means of transport.[3]
The first two routes, Teya and Kanasin, were completed by August 2023, the month in which the Tren Maya, as well as the connections between the two networks, will be tested.
The Ie-Tram network consists of 5 lines:[4] [5]
| Line | Route | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque La Plancha ↔ Kanasín | |
| 2 | Parque La Plancha ↔ Teya railway station | |
| 3 | Parque La Plancha ↔ Engineering Faculty of the UADY | |
| 4 | Parque La Plancha ↔ Parque Umán | |
| 5 | Parque La Plancha ↔ Umán railway station |
It is intended that all public transport in the city of Mérida and its metropolitan area will be approved and fully electronic through the Va y Ven Smart Card, which will also be used on the Va y Ven bus network.[6] [7]
There will be 46 stations where you can make free transfers between Ie-Tram and the different transport routes of the Va and Ven.
The Ie-Tram will connect with various other modes of public transit.