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“Metro Chabacano” redirects here. For the Javier Álvarez composition, see Metro Chabacano (Álvarez).

Chabacano metro station[d] is a transfer station on the Mexico City Metro in Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. Chabacano is a combined underground and at-grade station divided into three lines, each with two side platforms and one island platform, employing the Spanish solution layout. It serves Lines 2 (Blue Line), 8 (Green Line), and 9 (Brown Line).

Chabacano metro station is located between San Antonio Abad and Viaducto stations on Line 2, between Obrera and La Viga stations on Line 8, and between Lázaro Cárdenas and Jamaica stations on Line 9. It serves the colonias (neighborhoods) of Ampliación Asturias, Obrera, and Vista Alegre. The station’s pictogram features an apricot and its name derives from a nearby street that once had several apricot trees.

Chabacano metro station opened on 1 August 1970, initially providing northbound service on Line 2 toward Pino Suárez metro station and southbound service toward Tasqueña station. Service on Line 9, running west to east from Centro Médico to Pantitlán, began on 26 August 1987. Line 8 service, with trains running southeast toward Constitución de 1917 station and north toward Garibaldi station, commenced on 20 July 1994. The Line 2 station was rebuilt when the transfer facilities were constructed.

The station is accessible to people with disabilities, with elevators, escalators and wheelchair ramps. Outside, several local bus routes serve the area. Inside are an Internet café, an information desk, a cultural showcase, a private library, and a mural titled Civilización y Cultura by José de Guimarães. The station was used as a filming location for the 1990 film Total Recall, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Javier Álvarez named a composition after the station. In 2025, the station recorded an average of 32,793 daily entries.

Location and layout

Street-level view of a street sign and a metro station entrance
Line 2 station in 2008 along Calzada de Tlalpan

Chabacano is a transfer metro station, located in the Cuauhtémoc borough, in central Mexico City. It is situated along Calzada de Tlalpan (Line 2), beneath Calle Juan A. Mateos (Line 8) and beneath Eje 3 Sur – Calzada Chabacano (Line 9). The station serves three colonias (neighborhoods) of Ampliación Asturias, Obrera, and Vista Alegre. The station is named after the avenue of the same name, which once had several apricot trees, and its pictogram features the silhouette of its fruit.[2] Chabacano means “apricot” in Mexican Spanish; in other regions, it can mean “tacky” or “vulgar”.[3][4]

Chabacano metro station serves as an interchange for three lines. It is located between San Antonio Abad and Viaducto stations on Line 2, between Obrera and La Viga stations on Line 8, and between Lázaro Cárdenas and Jamaica stations on Line 9.[2]

Several bus routes serve the station. The Red de Transporte de Pasajeros (RTP) bus system includes Routes 2-A, 31-B, 33, 111-A, and 145-A, while the public bus system includes Routes 9-C, 9-E, 14-A, 17-C, 17-H, and 17-I.[5][6]

Chabacano metro station has multiple exits serving its various lines. For Line 2, there are two exits: the eastern exit is located between Calle Juan A. Mateos, Calzada Chabacano, and Avenida San Antonio Abad in Colonia Vista Alegre, while the western exit is located between Calle Manuel Caballero, Calle Antonio Solís, and Avenida San Antonio Abad in Colonia Obrera.[2]

Line 8 has three exits: north, southeast, and southwest. These are located at the respective corners of Calle Juan A. Mateos and Calle Vicente Beristain in Colonia Vista Alegre. Line 9 has four exits: the northeast and southeast exits are located at the corners of Calzada Chabacano and Calle J. Antonio Torres X in Colonia Vista Alegre, while the northwest and southwest exits are at the corners of Calzada Chabacano and Calle Francisco Ayala in Colonia Ampliación Asturias.[2]

Unlike the system’s other transfer stations, which are linked by underground tunnels, the transfer passageway between Lines 2 and 9 is elevated due to limited space for a tunnel. The bridge crosses several houses and streets and is 200 meters (660 ft) long. Commuters using Line 8 must navigate two additional sets of stairs that connect to a tunnel running between Calle Francisco Ayala and Calle Vicente Beristain.[7]

History and construction

The hall of an overpass.
The transfer bridge connecting Lines 2 and 9

Line 2

The line was built by Ingeniería de Sistemas de Transportes Metropolitano, Electrometro and Cometro, the latter being a subsidiary of Empresas ICA.[8] Chabacano station opened on 1 August 1970, as part of the inaugural Pino Suárez–Tasqueña service.[9] The station was built at grade level with a design similar to other stations in the at-grade section, including an island platform.[8][10] The section between Chabacano and San Antonio Abad is 642 meters (2,106 ft) long, while the section between Chabacano and Viaducto measures 774 meters (2,539 ft).[11]

When construction of Lines 8 and 9 began, the station was rebuilt to improve passenger boarding and alighting. The Spanish solution was implemented across all platforms, whereby alighting passengers use the central platform, while boarding passengers use the side platforms on the opposite side of the train.[10] The station offers accessibility features, including four elevators.[2]

As part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, authorities implemented partial closures at the station starting on 9 February 2026, to carry out rehabilitation work on the line.[12]

Line 8

ICA built the line, whose first and only section opened on 20 July 1994, running from Garibaldi to Constitución de 1917.[13][14] Chabacano is an underground station; the tunnel between Chabacano and Obrera is 1,143 meters (3,750 ft) long, while the section between Chabacano and La Viga measures 843 meters (2,766 ft).[11]

Line 9

Cometro built the line, whose first section, including Chabacano, opened on 26 August 1987, running from Centro Médico towards Pantitlán station.[15][16] Chabacano is an underground station; the tunnel to Lázaro Cárdenas is 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) long, while the tunnel toward Jamaica measures 1,031 meters (3,383 ft) long.[17][11]

The station provides accessible facilities, including wheelchair ramps, two elevators, and escalators.[2] These facilities were renovated in 2021 to address obsolescence.[18]

Incidents

On 28 December 2010, an elderly passenger attempting to help two people who had dropped their belongings onto the tracks fell onto the rails and was struck and killed by an approaching Line 2 train.[19] On 4 June 2018, a law student was arrested for attempting to access the Benito Juárez library inside the station after the station manager denied him entry, stating that it was reserved for metro personnel. The public prosecutor’s office declined to pursue charges, deeming the restriction unjustified under the City Libraries Code, as the facility is located in a public space. Metro authorities later clarified that the library is open to the general public upon registration.[20][21]

On 12 September 2020, the station was vandalized by feminists protesting reported cases of harassment and restrictions on street vendors within the metro system.[22] Following the collapse of a bridge on Line 12, which resulted in 26 deaths, demonstrators vandalized the station again and assaulted metro staff, whom they held responsible for the accident.[23] On 1 April 2022, a woman slipped on an escalator, triggering a chain reaction that knocked down seven other people, all of whom sustained minor injuries.[24]

See also: Metro Chabacano (Álvarez)
A tile mural featuring colorful abstract creatures floating around the artwork.
Part of the mural Cultura y Civilización
A band plays in front of an audience.
La Silueta Ska performing in the lobby of Line 9

The station includes an Internet café, an information desk, a cultural display,[2] a private library,[20] and a mural titled Civilización y Cultura (English: “Culture and Civilization”) by Portuguese artist José de Guimarães. Created on a 120-square-meter (1,300 sq ft) ceramic surface, the mural is divided into two sections and is located on Line 9. Inaugurated on 6 November 1996, it features elements from the pre-Hispanic cultures of Mesoamerica. According to de Guimarães, “two fundamental archetypes have prevailed throughout the centuries [in pre-Hispanic culture in Mexico]: the serpent as a symbol of water-life and the jaguar as a symbol of earth-fertility. Without these two important elements for man, history would not take place”.[25]

Due to its size, Chabacano metro station has held cultural programs in its lobby. The station has hosted mini-concerts featuring musicians such as Trans-X, Ji-Hae Park, and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán.[26][27][28]

Scenes from the 1990 film Total Recall were filmed at the station at night. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and set in the year 2084. The film depicts a future in which humanity has colonized Mars. In one scene on Earth, Douglas Quaid, a secret agent with erased memories, escapes from attackers by entering a subway station and leaping through the window of an outbound train. During filming, Schwarzenegger accidentally cut his wrist when the crew failed to detonate the window on time.[29] To transform the building for the scene, the film crew painted the walls and a train in cement gray, covered the signage, and added monitors throughout the station.[30][31] Mexican composer Javier Álvarez named one of his compositions after the metro station. It was played live by the Cuarteto Latinoamericano at the station during an exhibition in September 1991.[32]

By 2020, the station and its surrounding area had become a popular location for buying and selling used and vintage clothing, particularly on weekends.[33]

Ridership

Some passengers take the escalators down, while others head into a tunnel.
Passengers descend the stairs from Line 2. In the background is the transfer tunnel to Line 9, while access to Line 8 is via an additional set of stairs.

According to official data, Line 2 records higher usage than Lines 8 and 9, which are among the least accessed in the system. Prior to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic the station recorded a total ridership of 15,920,404 passengers in 2019, averaging 43,584 daily entries.[34][35]

By line, Line 2 recorded 7,932,688 passengers in 2025, averaging 21,733 per day. Line 8 recorded 1,273,326 passengers, averaging 3,488 per day. Line 9 recorded 2,763,641 passengers, averaging 7,571 per day.[1] System authorities estimated that an average of 83,000 passengers used the station daily in 2021.[36]

In 2025, when considered individually among the system’s 195 stations, the Line 2 station ranked 47th busiest; the Line 8 station ranked 188th in the system, while the Line 9 station ranked 155th.[1]

Annual passenger ridership (Line 2)[c]
Year Ridership Average daily Rank % change Ref.
2025 7,932,688 21,733 47/195 +12.40% [1]
2024 7,057,566 19,282 53/195 −11.84% [1]
2023 8,005,603 21,933 43/195 +9.53% [1]
2022 8,005,603 20,024 43/195 +62.52% [1]
2021 4,497,267 12,321 61/195 −32.96% [37]
2020 6,707,998 18,327 34/195 −35.83% [38]
2019 10,452,786 28,637 47/195 −3.49% [34]
2018 10,831,155 29,674 45/195 +5.52% [35]
2017 10,264,980 28,123 47/195 −0.07% [39]
2016 10,272,203 28,066 49/195 +0.34% [40]
Annual passenger ridership (Line 8)[c]
Year Ridership Average daily Rank % change Ref.
2025 1,273,326 3,488 188/195 −0.78% [1]
2024 1,283,378 3,506 180/195 −13.23% [1]
2023 1,479,067 4,052 170/195 +26.33% [1]
2022 1,170,770 3,207 171/195 +18.48% [1]
2021 988,177 2,707 177/195 +11.73% [37]
2020 884,432 2,416 189/195 −43.12% [38]
2019 1,554,977 4,260 191/195 −1.02% [34]
2018 1,571,045 4,304 191/195 +10.33% [35]
2017 1,424,001 3,901 191/195 +2.15% [39]
2016 1,394,042 3,808 191/195 +0.44% [40]
Annual passenger ridership (Line 9)[c]
Year Ridership Average daily Rank % change Ref.
2025 2,763,641 7,571 155/195 +15.07% [1]
2024 2,401,683 6,561 155/195 −21.87% [1]
2023 3,073,903 8,421 132/195 −0.58% [1]
2022 3,091,961 8,471 128/195 +9.90% [1]
2021 2,813,390 7,707 117/195 +32.75% [37]
2020 2,119,283 5,790 150/195 −45.83% [38]
2019 3,912,641 10,719 150/195 −2.54% [34]
2018 4,014,545 10,998 146/195 +0.42% [35]
2017 3,997,946 10,953 143/195 −0.01% [39]
2016 3,998,201 10,924 144/195 +0.59% [40]

Notes

  1. ^ Due to the 2026 FIFA World Cup renovations, the Line 2 station may be closed without prior announcement.
  2. ^ The Mexico City Metro system records entries at interchange stations separately. Individually, Line 2 saw 7,932,688 passengers, Line 8 had 1,479,067 passengers, and Line 9 recorded 1,273,326 passengers.[1]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g 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.
  4. ^ Estación del Metro Chabacano. Mexican Spanish pronunciation: [tʃaβaˈkano] ⓘ. The name of the station means “apricot” in Mexican Spanish.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r “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. ^ a b c d e f g “Chabacano” (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  3. ^ Sandoval, Cecilia (1 May 2008). “Estación Chabacano” [Chabacano Station]. Myco (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  4. ^ “chabacano, chabacana”. Royal Spanish Academy (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  5. ^ “Red de Rutas” [Routes network] (in Spanish). Red de Transporte de Pasajeros. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  6. ^ “Red de corredores” [Route network]. Organismo Regulador de Transporte (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  7. ^ “5 transbordos extremos del Metro” [Five extreme metro transfers]. Chilango (in Spanish). 27 August 2015. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  8. ^ a b “Línea 2, Ciudad de México” [Line 2, Mexico City] (in Spanish). iNGENET Infraestructura. 20 July 2009. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  9. ^ Escobedo, Alina (31 August 2021). “¿Cuáles son las estaciones de la Línea 2 del Metro de la CDMX?” [What are the stations of Line 2 of the Mexico City Metro?]. Noticieros Televisa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  10. ^ a b Jiménez González, Noé Fernando (June 1991). “Reconstrucción y ampliación de la Estación Chabacano entronque Línea 2 y 9” [Reconstruction and expansion of the Chabacano junction station for Lines 2 and 9] (in Spanish). Naucalpan: National Autonomous University of Mexico. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  11. ^ a b c “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.
  12. ^ López, Jonás (10 February 2026). “Molesta a usuarios el cierre temprano de estaciónes del Metro CDMX L2” [Passengers upset due to early closing of Mexico City Metro Line 2 stations]. Excélsior (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  13. ^ “Línea 8, Ciudad de México” [Line 8, Mexico City] (in Spanish). iNGENET Infraestructura. 20 July 2009. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  14. ^ “Ingeniería y Metro” [Engineering and Metro] (PDF). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro (in Spanish). Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de México. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  15. ^ “Línea 9, Ciudad de México” [Line 9, Mexico City] (in Spanish). iNGENET Infraestructura. 20 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 September 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  16. ^ Escobedo, Alina (21 September 2021). “¿Cuáles son las estaciones de la Línea 9 del Metro de la CDMX?” [What are the stations of the Line 9 of the Mexico City Metro?]. Noticieros Televisa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  17. ^ Mendoza, Janatna (21 May 2021). “Especialistas concluyen inspección física de tramo elevado en Línea 9 del Metro de CdMx” [Specialists conclude physical inspection of the elevated section of Line 9 of the Mexico City Metro]. Milenio (in Spanish). Mexico City. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  18. ^ “Metro estrenará escaleras eléctricas en Tacubaya y Chabacano” [Metro will inaugurate escalators in Tacubaya and Chabacano stations]. Chilango (in Spanish). 30 June 2021. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  19. ^ “Reanudan servicio en Metro Chabacano” [Service resumed at Chabacano metro station]. El Universal (in Spanish). 28 December 2010. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  20. ^ a b “Detienen a estudiante por querer usar biblioteca del Metro” [Student arrested for trying to use Metro library]. ADN40 (in Spanish). 4 June 2018. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  21. ^ “Joven arrestado por entrar a biblioteca del Metro estudiará becado en Harvard” [Young man arrested for accessing the Metro library to study at Harvard on a scholarship]. Imagen Televisión (in Spanish). Mexico City. 11 June 2018. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  22. ^ Dorantes, Elizabeth (12 September 2020). “Mujeres protestan en Metro Chabacano contra el acoso y piden no criminalizar bazares” [Women protest at Chabacano metro station against harassment and call for not criminalizing markets]. El Sol de México (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  23. ^ Vargas, Aabye (7 May 2021). “Agreden a personal del Metro en estación Chabacano por tragedia en L12” [Metro staff assaulted at Chabacano station due to Line 12 tragedy]. El Sol de México (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  24. ^ Ramírez, Omar (1 April 2022). “Reportan personas lesionadas tras caída en escaleras eléctricas de L2 de Metro Chabacano” [Injuries reported after an escalator fall at Chabacano station on Line 2]. Debate (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  25. ^ “Civilización y Cultura” [Culture and Civilization] (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  26. ^ Anzaldo, Val (2017). “Fuimos a un concierto de High Energy en el Metro de la Ciudad de México” [We Went to a High Energy Concert in the Mexico City Metro]. Vice (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  27. ^ “Ofrece Ji-Hae Park concierto de gala en el Metro” [Ji-Hae Park Offers Gala Concert in the Metro]. Secretariat of Culture (in Spanish). Government of Mexico. 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  28. ^ “Enrique Bagaría con la Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán” [Enrique Bagaría with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán]. Secretariat of Culture (in Spanish). Government of Mexico. 2020. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  29. ^ Polowy, Kevin (1 June 2020). “‘Total Recall’ at 30: Arnold Schwarzenegger recalls gruesome wrist-cutting injury on set”. Yahoo! Entertainment. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  30. ^ Castillo, Jesús (30 July 2021). “¡74 años de edad!, cuando Arnold Schwarzenegger filmó en CDMX” [74 years old! When Arnold Schwarzenegger filmed in Mexico City]. MVS Noticias (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  31. ^ Chavarría Espinosa, Adrián (30 March 2015). “Alebrijes en Cuadratines: El Cine y la Ciudad de México” [Alebrijes in quads: Cinema and Mexico City]. Por la Libre (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  32. ^ “Álvarez, Javier – Metro Chabacano”. Secretariat of Culture of Mexico City (in Spanish). Government of Mexico City. 25 September 2019. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  33. ^ “‘El Metro dejó de ser seguro para las emprendedoras’“ [’Metro is no longer safe for women entrepreneurs’]. El Universal (in Spanish). 14 September 2020. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  34. ^ a b c d “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.
  35. ^ a b c d “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.
  36. ^ Mata Othón, Atalo (27 December 2021). “Metro estrena escalera eléctrica en la estación Chabacano” [Metro inaugurates escalator at Chabacano metro station]. Excélsior. Archived from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ a b c “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.
  38. ^ a b c “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.
  39. ^ a b c “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.
  40. ^ a b c “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.