After glitches Metro signs $7.3 million train maintenance contract

After a series  of incidents leading to the closing of stations and reduction of service on Line 1 of Panama Metro the Cabinet Council has approved the signing of a $7.3 million contract with the company Alstom, manufacturer of the trains used in the country, to provide “heavy” maintenance to Line 1.

The contract between the state company and the Alstom Panama subsidiary is to maintain the first 20 trains that are part of Line 1 and that are close to reaching 800,000 kilometers of travel. 

The contracting will be carried out by direct means, considering that Alstom is the manufacturer, supplier and current person in charge of the maintenance of the trains and wagons of the line that has been operating since 2014. 

Roberto Roy, Chairman of the Metro’s board of directors, said that the maintenance service seeks to guarantee safe conditions in the system’s operations. He stressed that once the 800,000 kilometers is reached, high-level maintenance must be managed.  

The work includes the maintenance of the brake system, which was linked to one of the “incidents” for which the Line 1 service was recently paralyzed.

“We have learned from these incidents and have taken steps to maintain the reliability of the system. The incidents have never jeopardized the safety of users,” said Luis Carlos Díaz, Panama Metro director of operations.