The Ie-Tram Yucatán is a bus network in the city of Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico and nearby towns.
| Ie-Tram Yucatán | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Logo of Ie-Tram, as part of Va y Ven | |||
 An Ie-Tram unit in 2023 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Owner | Agencia de Transporte de Yucatán | ||
| Locale | Mérida, Umán, and Kanasín,  Yucatán,  Mexico | ||
| Transit type | Bus rapid transit | ||
| Number of lines | 5+1 special events line | ||
| Number of stations | 67 | ||
| Website | vayven | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 16 December 2023 | ||
| Operator(s) |  Mobility ADO | ||
| Number of vehicles | 34 battery electric buses | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 116 km (72 mi) | ||
| Top speed | 90 km/h (56 mph) | ||
| |||
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 (namely, Teya Mérida and Umán) and a central station located near the new Parque La Plancha.[1]
The Ie-Tram Yucatán began service on 15 December 2023, coinciding with the opening of the connecting Tren Maya.[2]
History
editConstruction
editThe Ie-Tram was 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.[citation needed] 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, were tested.
Opening
editThe opening of the first line, connecting Parque La Plancha with the Tren Maya's Teya Station, took place on December 15, 2023, at an event held at the Teya Mérida station, made official by the governor of Yucatan Mauricio Vila Dosal and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in a parallel event to the inauguration of the first phase of the Tren Maya, and began to provide regular service as of December 16, 2023.[4]
Lines
editThe Ie-Tram network consists of 5 main lines,[5][6] as well as a special events line that works only during the games of the Leones de Yucatán.
| Líne | Route number on the Va-y-Ven app | Name | Connections | Length | No. of stations | No. of buses used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Plancha - Facultad de Ingeniera |     
|
16.75 kilometres (10.41 mi) | 58 | 7 |
 |
 |
Plancha - Kanasín |
|
30.9 kilometres (19.2 mi) | 23 | 6 |
 |
 |
Plancha - Kanasín - Leones (temporary) |
|
32 kilometres (20 mi) | 24 | 6 |
 |
 |
Plancha ↔ Estación Teya Tren Maya | 
|
14.2 kilometres (8.8 mi) | 7 | 4 |
 |
 |
CETRAM La Plancha - CETRAM Umán | 
|
28.5 kilometres (17.7 mi) | 32 | 8 |
 |
|
Central - Umán - Tren Maya |
|
33.4 kilometres (20.8 mi) | 13 | 4 |
Vehicle fleet
editThe current fleet of the IE-TRAM transport system is 34 zero-emission electric buses with tram aesthetic attributes.[7]
Irizar Ie-tram 12m
editThe model used is the standard 12 meters long low floor with the following characteristics:
- 3 entrances/exits on the right side (western).
- Maximum capacity for 105 passengers.
- Ramp and space for wheelchairs and strollers.
- Lithium-ion battery with a range of up to 350 kilometres (220 mi).
- 11 driving and surveillance cameras.
- USB chargers for passengers.
- Air conditioning.
Wifi for passengers.
- GPS real-time geolocator for the Va y Ven app.
Payment systems
editIt 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.[8][9]
- Blue Card for general passage (MX$12.00) [10]
- Yellow Card for students and seniors (MX$5.00) [10]
- White Card for persons with disabilities (free) [10]
There will be 46 stations where you can make free transfers between Ie-Tram and the different transport routes of the Va and Ven.
IE-TRAM ticket
editFor people who do not have a Va y Ven card, they can make use of the IE-TRAM by buying a travel ticket. This payment method is focused on tourists traveling on the Mayan Train who do not have Va y Ven cards.
- Tourist Rate by ticket ($45.00)[11]
Tourist fare tickets are sold at the Umán and Teya stations of the Mayan Train, as well as at the Parque La Plancha station.
Connection with other modes of public transit
editThe Ie-Tram will connect with various other modes of public transit.
- Line 3 connects with the Tren Maya at Teya Mérida railway station.
- Line 5 connects with the Tren Maya at Umán railway station.
- Many stations on the Ie-Tram will connect with the other Va y Ven buses.
- Parque La Plancha Station has a connection with "En Bici", the urban bicycle rental network of the city of Mérida.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "El Ie-tram como sistema de transporte de la más alta calidad y precedente para el futuro, se consolida a través del trabajo conjunto impulsado por el Gobernador Mauricio Vila Dosal". Government of the State of Yucatán (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Yucatán estrenará en 2023, IE-TRAM, transporte público 100% eléctrico". energy21.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-11-20.
- ^ "De España para Yucatán: así será el primer transporte 100% eléctrico que recorrerá las calles de este estado". Obras (in Spanish). 21 June 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Vila Dosal y-López Obrador inauguran la-primera ruta del-Ie-tram". Milenio (in Mexican Spanish). 15 December 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ "8*5 IETRAM_MAPA 2" (PDF). Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "MAPA lETRAM". PDF. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ "01- Vehículos - Irizar ie tram - Irizar e-mobility". irizar-emobility.com. Irizar. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ "lETRAM". PDF. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ "IE-TRAM en Mérida: Así será el sistema de cobros del transporte". www.poresto.net (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ a b c "Tarifa va y ven junio 2022" (PDF).
- ^ "Va y Ven Cards". TransporteYucatan. Va y Ven. Retrieved 10 October 2024.