Gambling on Suburban Public Transportation in Edoméx

Riding the Tren Suburbano to Cuautitlán in the State of Mexico (Edoméx).

As someone who spent too much of my youth in the suburbs, the concept of city adjacent puts me off. So it is not always a given that I will take to a train called Tren Suburbano. Even in a city, sometimes when I am riding a new train or bus or cablebús line it's a crap shoot. Sometimes I find myself in an interesting place and sometimes, not so much.

The odds of winning the Cascadas Lucky are slim.

Suburbs for me are kind of like the guy playing the Cascadas Lucky hoping that he wins. In all likelihood he won't. All too often the bundles of pesos and piles of coins on the shelves of the game of chance stay right where they are and have likely always been.

Today wasn't anything like Cascadas Lucky. After all, I am in Mexico so the odds are always in my favor that I will see some great things along the way. Today's peregrination was no exception.

Estación Buena Vista

A couple of months earlier I had stumbled into Tren Suburbano's Estación Buena Vista in CDMX somewhat dazed after visiting the spectacular Biblioteca Vasconcelos next door.

Biblioteca Vasconcelos, an architectural masterpiece by Mexican architect Alberto Kalach.

For whatever reason, upon entering the station that first time, I didn't venture past the outer lobby where a bunch of stands were set up selling the sort of household stuff and crafts one finds in plazas and public spaces all over the city. For some reason, that day I didn't think about taking in the modern train station beyond the stalls. Still, I made a mental note and with a free morning, I came back today to see the station and check out the all-electric Tren Suburbano.

Tren Suburbano. Estación Buena Vista.

Think of the system, operated by Ferrocarriles Suburbanos as yet another extension to CDMX's exceptional Movilidad Integrada transportation network. I say another because, like Mexicable and Mexibús, Tren Suburbano helps make getting around the massive city-state of CDMX/Edoméx possible.

Tren Suburbano is not a huge system by international standards but with its 27 kms of track it is a workhorse for the stations it serves in Cuauhtémoc and Azcapotzalco in CDMX, and Tlalnepantla, Tultitlán and Cuautitlán, in Edoméx.

A second line is under construction to connect CDMX with the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) in Zumpango. With any luck, I (and you) will never have to fly in or out of AIFA which is a trek from most of the parts of CDMX that make this one of the world's greatest cities.

But I digress. While Covid took a toll on ridership, with trains arriving every six minutes during rush hour, I hope that Tren Suburbano is back to the average of 200,000 daily passengers that it was carrying in 2018 before the pandemic.

Yours in Transit

As I have noted before, in spite of the frequency of service, public transportation in CDMX can be quite crowded. To get to Estación Buena Vista, I rode Ecobici from Metro Chapultepec to Metrobús Línea 1 at Glorieta de Los Insurgentes. I could have taken one of several buses, but why, with an annual Ecobici membership and a straight shot ride on a protected bike lane along Chapultepec.

Metrobús Línea 1 to Indios Verdes.

As luck would have it, at Insurgentes I got a seat on the bus rapid transit (BRT) Metrobús for the short six stop ride to Buenavista.

Metrobús Línea 1, Buenavista. No, I am not missing the MTA's lumbering M3 bus in the slightest.

Most CDMX's Metrobús lines feature all-door boarding and center lane stations that function like mini Metro stations with staff-monitored turnstiles.

Estación Buena Vista is a clean, well-maintained station.

Waiting for in-bound passengers to exit the other side of the train. Estación Buena Vista.

Since it wasn't rush hour, I was able to get a seat and enjoy the ride.

Tren Suburbano.

Tren Suburbano, Tultitlán.

I took the train to Tultitlán in Edoméx, which Wikipedia, not ChatGPT, told me had a nice Centro and the pretty Parroquia de San Antonio de Padua. Both checked out.

Tren Suburbano, Tultitlán.

Tultitlán Cetram.

From the Tren Suburbano I took a combi (pesero) for 12 pesos from the Cetram (bus depot) to the nearby Centro.

Parroquia de San Antonio de Padua, Tultitlán, Edoméx.

Palacio Municipal, Tultitlán, Edoméx.

After some exploring, and a bite, I headed back to the station for the easy, comfortable trip back to CDMX.

Tren Suburbano, Tultitlán, Edoméx.

Once again, Mexico is wowing me with its public transportation and accessibility. And as much as I love CDMX, my periodic sojourns on public transport to Edoméx have been fun and interesting as well. If you have time, consider taking Tren Suburbano or Mexicable or Mexibús to some of the colonias and pueblos that may not make it into the guidebooks.

Yours in transit,

Joel

#cdmx #edoméx #trensuburbano #metrobús #mexicable #mexibús #ecobici #movilidadintegrada #brt #mta #bibliotecavasconcelos #albertokalach