New subway station in Greater BH will serve 7 thousand people per day

The Novo Eldorado Station in Contagem (MG), a 1.6 km extension of Line 1 of the Belo Horizonte Metro, had 85% of the construction completed. The information was confirmed on Tuesday morning (10/7) during an inspection at the site by the Governor of Minas Gerais Romeu Zema (Novo).
The project is scheduled to be completed by early 2026. According to the Governor of Minas, studies have shown that the new station can benefit 7 thousand people per day, and although there is disruption caused by the construction, such as dirt and noise, the ‘benefit is permanent’ as the construction is expected to ease the lives of users in Greater BH.
‘More stations mean more movement. It’s another line and several stations. As the stations grow, people who currently opt for buses, cars, or motorcycles will have more options,’ said the Governor.
According to the superintendent of the Minas Gerais Metro concession contract, Letícia Torres, other studies indicate that 4,200 users will be served during peak hours. To meet the demand, the concessionaire calculated an operation that serves three times that number, reaching approximately 12,000 during peak hours.
‘We still don’t have an exact number of users who will pass through here. The travel time is expected to increase by about 1 minute because we will extend the route by approximately 1.6 km,’ explained the superintendent.
The Novo Eldorado station is being built prior to the Eldorado station. As a result, it will be the starting point of the Contagem (MG) Metro to BH. According to the BH Metro, Line 1 (Eldorado-Vilarinho) will be integrated with Line 2 at the Nova Suíça station.
The last station inaugurated in Greater BH was Vilarinho in 2002. After 20 years without expansion, the Minas Gerais government emphasizes that, in addition to increasing the daily passenger transport capacity, the new structure will strengthen metropolitan integration between cities.
According to the Governor, 24 new trains, produced in China, are scheduled to start operating in the first half of 2026. The compositions will serve both Line 1 and Line 2, offering more comfort and stability during trips, as well as greater energy efficiency.
The new acquisitions will replace trains purchased in the 1980s and will join others acquired between 2010 and 2013 that will continue operating, totaling a fleet of 34 carriages. The expectation is to receive two compositions per month so that ten of them start operating by the end of 2026. The transport capacity, of a thousand passengers per train, will remain the same.
Package of works on Line 1
In addition to delivering the new station, other interventions are being carried out to improve Line 1. According to the BH Metro, they involve station renovations, purchase of new air-conditioned trains, and various technological updates to systems such as train control and safety, permanent way, lighting, and hydraulics.
By the end of this year, the Eldorado, Cidade Industrial, Vila Oeste, Gameleira, Calafate, Carlos Prates, Lagoinha, Central, Santa Efigênia, and Vilarinho stations will be revitalized. Meanwhile, the Santa Tereza, Horto, Santa Inês, José Cândido, Minas Shopping, São Gabriel, Primeiro de Maio, Waldomiro Lobo, and Floramar stations will be renovated by the end of 2026.
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