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Potrero metro station

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Pictogram of Potrero metro station. It features the silhouette of a horse head above a fence. Potrero
Mexico City Metro
Multiple passengers wait on the only platform
The station's platform in 2022
General information
LocationAvenida de los Insurgentes
Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City
Coordinates19°28′37″N 99°07′56″W / 19.47691°N 99.132171°W / 19.47691; -99.132171
SystemMexico City Metro
OwnerGovernment of Mexico City
OperatorSistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC)
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Structure type
At grade
AccessiblePartial
Other information
StatusIn service
History
Opened1 December 1979; 46 years ago (1979-12-01)
Passengers
20254,524,829[1][a] Increase 1.33%
Rank116/195[1][a]
Services
Preceding station Mexico City Metro Following station
Deportivo 18 de Marzo
toward Indios Verdes
 Line 3 La Raza
toward Universidad
Location
Potrero is located in Mexico City
Potrero
Pictogram of Potrero metro station. It features the silhouette of a horse head above a fence. Potrero
Location within Mexico City
Map
Area map and station layout

Potrero metro station[b] is a station of the Mexico City Metro in the city's borough of Gustavo A. Madero. It is an underground railway stop with one island platform serving Line 3 (Olive Line), between Deportivo 18 de Marzo and La Raza. It was opened on 1 December 1979, providing service north toward Indios Verdes and south toward Hospital General.

Potrero metro station services the colonias (neighborhoods) of Capultitlan and Guadalupe Insurgentes, along Avenida de los Insurgentes. The station's name references a hippodrome that formerly existed in the area. Its pictogram depicts the silhouette of a horse head behind a fence to reference a paddock. The station offers a limited accessible service with wheelchair ramps.

Outside, there is a transportation hub serving local and intercity routes, and the eponymous Metrobús station serving Lines 1 and 3. In 2025, Potrero metro station had an average daily ridership of 12,396 passengers, ranking it the 116th busiest stop in the network.

Since its opening, the station has been the site of several incidents, including a train crash in the southbound tunnel that killed one person and injured 106 others, as well as structural damage caused by local ground subsidence.

Location and layout

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Technicians are inspecting the tracks of the line near the station.
Potrero metro station is located on the median strip of Avenida de los Insurgentes.

Potrero is an at-grade metro station along Avenida de los Insurgentes in the Gustavo A. Madero borough, in northern Mexico City.[2][3] It serves two Colonias ("neighborhoods") of Capultitlan and Guadalupe Insurgentes. The surrounding area has mixed land use, with industrial areas to the west and residential areas to the east.[4]

The stop has four exits leading onto Avenida de los Insurgentes: The northeastern exit is located at Avenida Victoria, while the southeastern exit goes onto Calle Excélsior, both in Colonia Guadalupe Insurgentes. The northwestern exits connect to Calles Poniente 112 and Poniente 116, both in Colonia Capultitlan. The station offers a limited accessible service with wheelchair ramps.[2]

Within the system, the station lies between Deportivo 18 de Marzo and La Raza.[2] The metro station is serviced by a Centro de transferencia modal (CETRAM), a transportation hub covering an area of 6,614 square meters (71,190 sq ft).[4][5] The hub provides access to various routes and modes of transportation, including Routes 25 and 104 of the Red de Transporte de Pasajeros (RTP) system as well as Route 15-C of the public bus system.[6][7] Additionally, Line 1 and Line 3 of the Metrobús service are available at the Potrero bus station.[8]

History and construction

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Line 3 of the Mexico City Metro was built by Ingeniería de Sistemas de Transportes Metropolitano, Electrometro, and Cometro, the latter being a subsidiary of Empresas ICA.[9] The section including Potrero metro station formed part of a northward extension from La Raza, and opened on 1 December 1979, while running southward toward Hospital General station.[10][11]

The section between Potrero and La Raza station descends from street level to the underground level and measures 1,106 meters (3,629 ft), while the opposite section runs at grade toward Deportivo 18 de Marzo station is 715 meters (2,346 ft) long.[3][12] During the station's construction, remains of horses, mammoths, fish, and birds were uncovered.[13]

Name and pictogram

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The pictogram representing Potrero metro station is a silhouette of a horse's head behind a fence. The station and surrounding area take their name from a former hippodrome that operated during the Porfiriato era (1876–1911), in what is now Colonia Ex Hipódromo de Peralvillo. Its paddocks were located in the northern part of the area.[2]

Incidents

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Train crash

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The exit of a tunnel with tracks on the ground. Workers are outside it.
Entrance to the tunnel toward La Raza station the day of the accident.

Two trains collided inside the Potrero–La Raza interstation tunnel while both headed toward Indios Verdes metro station on 7 January 2023. The accident killed one person and injuring 106 others.[14] Twenty days later, the Mexico City Attorney General's Office attributed the accident to two factors: reported cable theft in the area the previous day and negligent driving by the operator, who had failed to deactivate the autopilot and switch to manual operation in the affected area, as required by the procedure manual. Following the accident, the Mexico City government deployed National Guard personnel to monitor Metro stations, alleging that opponents had sabotaged the system without providing evidence to support the claim.[15][16] A Metro driver subsequently published a video showing the condition of the tunnels, including areas with inadequate lighting.[17]

Sinking issues

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An avenue with heavy traffic congestion.
Avenida de los Insurgentes near Potrero station. The avenue has areas with subsidence visible to the naked eye.

According to IUYET, a company contracted by the Metro system to inspect Line 3, the Potrero station building "has a high level of vulnerability due to collapses in the slabs, fractures, and subsidence". The company reported that subsidence has left sections of the tracks unsupported by the slabs, with gaps of up to 60 centimeters (24 in) and annual sinking rates of between 6.87 cm (2.70 in) and 8.83 cm (3.48 in) in the tunnel toward La Raza. By comparison, the section between Potrero and Deportivo 18 de Marzo sinks at rates of between 1.93 cm (0.76 in) and 8.79 cm (3.46 in).[18]

According to geologist Alejandro Salazar Méndez, the passageway connecting the platforms to the entrance lobby may cause the station's caisson to "float" due to Archimedes' principle. He explained that he believes the total weight of the underground passageway is less than the upward buoyant force exerted by the surrounding sediments.[19]

The Metro union also reported "deformation in the slab and the track elements, including rails, guide bars, and insulators, and sinkholes [...] which create problems in train operations and the execution of corrective maintenance work". It also identified deformations in the track section between Potrero and Deportivo 18 de Marzo that cause trains to sway during operation.[20]

Other

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On 14 December 2018, a private vehicle crashed into the walls near the Insurgentes Norte and Victoria entrance after being struck by a public bus; no injuries were reported.[21] On 19 July 2021, a man was stabbed to death in the CETRAM corridors during an apparent robbery.[22]

Ridership

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Graphic showing daily ridership
Daily ridership for Potrero station in 2024

According to official data, before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the station recorded between 17,100 and 19,100 average daily entries from 2016 to 2019. In 2025, it recorded 4,524,829 passengers, ranking 116th among the system's 195 stations.[1]

Annual passenger ridership[a]
Year Ridership Average daily Rank % change Ref.
20254,524,82912,396116/195+1.33%[1]
20244,465,44112,200111/195−2.20%[1]
20234,565,66312,508103/195+6.41%[1]
20224,290,55611,754101/195+43.08%[1]
20212,998,6868,215108/195−17.00%[23]
20203,612,9099,871103/195−42.81%[24]
20196,317,54517,308106/195+0.77%[25]
20186,269,06317,175106/195−2.37%[26]
20176,421,26517,592104/195−8.06%[27]
20166,984,35919,08293/195−5.42%[28]

Notes

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  1. 1 2 3 The data here is limited to the most recent ten years to avoid excessive listings; earlier figures can be found in this page's history or on the Mexico City Metro website. To calculate the average daily ridership, the annual total is divided by 365 days (366 in leap years), with decimals omitted from the result. Each station per line is ranked individually, as the system counts transfer stations separately. The percentage change is calculated automatically using the data from the current year and the previous year.
  2. ↑ Estación del Metro Potrero. Spanish pronunciation: [poˈtɾeɾo] ⓘ. The name of the station literally means "Paddock" in Spanish.

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Afluencia de estación por línea (2022–presente)" [Station traffic by line (2022–present)] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2025. Archived from the original on 8 February 2025. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Potrero" (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  3. 1 2 Mora, Karla (10 July 2019). "Por mantenimiento, cerrarán 4 estaciones de la Línea 3 del Metro" [For maintenance, four stations on Line 3 of the Metro will be closed]. La Razón (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 Domínguez Prieto, Olivia (2010). Trovadores posmodernos: músicos en el Sistema de Transporte Colectivo metro (PDF) (in Spanish). National Autonomous University of Mexico. p. 83. ISBN 978-607-02-1451-6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 April 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  5. ↑ Romero Sánchez, Gabriela; González Alvarado, Rocío (28 August 2016). "Busca gobierno convertir paradero de Indios Verdes en un Cetram" [The Government seeks to convert the Indios Verdes Terminal into a CETRAM]. La Jornada (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "Red de Rutas" [Routes network] (in Spanish). Red de Transporte de Pasajeros. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  7. ↑ "Red de corredores" [Route network]. Organismo Regulador de Transporte (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  8. ↑ "Línea 1: significado de estaciones" [Line 1: Meaning of stations] (in Spanish). Mexico City Metrobús. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  9. ↑ "Línea 3, Ciudad de México" [Line 3, Mexico City] (in Spanish). iNGENET Infraestructura. 20 July 2009. Archived from the original on 10 September 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  10. ↑ "¿Por qué Quieren Cambiar de Nombre a la Estación Indios Verdes?" [Why the name of the Indios Verdes Station wants to be changed?]. Noticieros Televisa (in Spanish). 20 April 2023.
  11. ↑ Transporte: Seis años de esfuerzo conjunto [Transport: Six years of joint effort] (in Spanish). Vol. I. Government of the Federal District Department. 1987. p. 17. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Longitud de estación a estación por línea" [Length from station to station by line]] (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  13. ↑ Sánchez Vázquez, Ma. de Jesús; Mena Cruz, Alberto; Carballal Staedtler, Margarita (2010). "Investigación Arqueológica en la Construcción del Metro" [Archaeological research in the construction of the Metro] (PDF) (in Spanish). Mexico City: Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  14. ↑ Ferri, Pablo (8 January 2022). "El Gobierno de Ciudad de México eleva el número de heridos del accidente del metro a 106" [The Mexico City Government raises the number of injuries from the Metro accident to 106]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  15. ↑ Linthicum, Kate (26 January 2023). "Crashes on Mexico City's neglected subway kill dozens. The mayor's answer? Send in troops". Los Angeles Times. Mexico City. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  16. ↑ Santiago, David (6 January 2024). "Línea 3 del Metro: A un año del choque, entre polémicas y acuerdos" [Metro Line 3: One year after the crash, amidst controversies and agreements]. Expansión (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "La Línea 3 bajo la oscuridad: Así es como ve un chofer del Metro CDMX" [Line 3 in darkness: This is how a Mexico City Metro driver sees it]. TV Azteca (in Spanish). 10 January 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  18. ↑ Mora, Karla (28 January 2024). "La estación Potrero del Metro tiene fracturas y se hunde" [The Potrero metro station has fractures and is sinking]. El Sol de México (in Spanish).
  19. ↑ Medrano, Daniel (3 January 2024). "Por qué se hunde la estación Potrero del Metro de CDMX; esto dijo un geólogo" [Why is the Potrero Metro station in Mexico City sinking? Here's what a geologist had to say]. Infobae (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 December 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Denuncian trabajadores del Metro 'graves fisuras' en paredes de la estación Potrero, Línea 3" [Metro workers report 'serious cracks' in the walls of the Potrero station, Line 3]. La Prensa (in Spanish). 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  21. ↑ "Automovilista destruye entrada de la estación del Metro Potrero (VIDEO)" [Driver destroys entrance to Potrero metro station (VIDEO)]. Reporte Índigo (in Spanish). 14 December 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  22. ↑ "Asesinan a hombre afuera de la estación del Metro Potrero; no hay detenidos" [A man is killed outside Potrero metro station; no arrests have been made]. Reporte Índigo (in Spanish). 19 July 2021. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  23. ↑ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2021" [Station traffic by line in 2021] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2022. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  24. ↑ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2020" [Station traffic by line in 2020] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2021. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2019" [Station traffic by line in 2019] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2020. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  26. ↑ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2018" [Station traffic by line in 2018] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  27. ↑ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2017" [Station traffic by line in 2017] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  28. ↑ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2016" [Station traffic by line in 2016] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2017. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
[edit]
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Estación Potrero (Metro de México) at Wikimedia Commons
  • Wiktionary logo The dictionary definition of potrero at Wiktionary
  • "Metro Potrero". At the Official Guide to Mexico City.
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