Mexico: The “Trolebus Elevado” Línea 11 trolleybus goes into service – A new era for public transport between Mexico City and Chalco
With the official opening of the Elevado Line 11 trolleybus on 18 May 2025, Mexico has taken a significant step towards modernising and electrifying its public transport system. The project connects the south-eastern urban area of Mexico City with the neighbouring state of Estado de México – and does so in an unprecedented way: fully electric, above ground on its own track, largely independent of private transport.
A response to congested transport axes
The line, which is 18.5 km long in total, runs partly on a specially constructed 6.7 km long elevated route parallel to the busy Avenida Tláhuac and Avenida Ignacio Zaragoza and extends from the Constitución de 1917 metro station (line 8) to the municipality of Chalco, a rapidly growing suburb with a high commuter density. The 13 stations are located between two transport hubs that already move millions of passengers every day.
The line was built as part of a comprehensive development plan to improve public transport in the Valle de México metropolitan region, which has a population of over 22 million.
Special technical features: Trolleybus on stilts
The term ‘Elevado’ is to be taken literally here: The trolleybus runs on a viaduct, completely separated from the rest of the road traffic. The 10 to 14 metre high elevated road is made of precast concrete elements and was built in record time – construction began in October 2020, so it took around three and a half years to complete.
The construction costs amount to around 11.3 billion pesos (around 520 million euros), which equates to around 28 million euros per kilometre. By comparison, the construction of a new tram line in Europe generally costs between 10 and 30 million euros per kilometre.
The project involves the use of 108 18-metre-long articulated Yutong ZK5180C trolleybuses, which have a battery reserve with a range of up to 100 km so that they can also operate without overhead lines in certain areas. The vehicles are air-conditioned, barrier-free and equipped with passenger information systems and essentially correspond to the Yutong vehicles that were delivered for the city’s trolleybus lines in 2019 – 2022.
The 102 battery-powered trolleybuses cost 1.4 billion Mexican pesos (approx. 64 million euros) – this works out at around 590,000 euros per vehicle.
The vehicles are supplied with direct current via a conventional two-pole overhead line. Several substations have been installed along the route to supply power, which are connected to the CFE’s public power grid.
Capacity and integration
The line is designed for a transport capacity of up to 100,000 passengers per day, with the prospect of up to 230,000 passengers per day. This is roughly equivalent to the capacity of a medium-sized metro line, but with significantly lower investment costs.
The new line is fully integrated into the fare system of the city of Mexico City (CDMX) and uses the Tarjeta Movilidad Integrada system. One journey costs 20 pesos.
An important aspect is the connection with the underground line 8, the RTP bus lines and the surrounding bus and minibus routes. At the urban terminus in Santa Martha, passengers can change to trolleybus line 10, which has been in operation since 2022 and is also fully elevated.
Sustainability and urban development
The Elevado trolleybus is regarded as a pilot project for a new form of public transport in Mexico: electric, efficient and compatible with the city. The construction of the elevated route made it possible to create new transport space in an already congested urban area without taking up additional space on the ground.
At the same time, investments were made in urban upgrading and greening along the route. Pedestrian areas have been expanded, new cycle paths created and car parks reduced.
Sustainability in context: cable cars and electric BRTs
The Elevado trolleybus is one of a series of new electrified means of transport that Mexico City and the neighbouring state have introduced in recent years. In 2021 and 2023, two cable car lines were opened in socially disadvantaged and topographically difficult neighbourhoods, the Cablebús, which are considered the world’s longest urban cable car connections. They provide a barrier-free and low-CO₂ connection in previously heavily underserved urban areas.
We reported here:
At the same time, the neighbouring state of Estado de México is modernising its Mexibús system: electrically powered articulated buses are now being used on several lines of the Bus Rapid Transit network – an important step towards emission-free metropolitan mobility. These systems are also fare-compatible or at least integrated on a transitional basis.
Political dimension
The project was initiated under the then mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, and was largely implemented by the state operator Servicio de Transportes Eléctricos (STE). Even after Sheinbaum took office as president in October 2024, the electrification of public transport remains a key objective at national level.
The cooperation between CDMX and the state of Estado de México is regarded as a model for interregional transport integration in Mexico.
Conclusion
The Elevado Línea 11 trolleybus shows that innovative, sustainable local transport solutions can also be realised in megacities in the global South – when political will, technical expertise and urban vision work together. For Chalco and the east of Mexico City, the new line means nothing less than a new backbone for daily mobility.
The following video gives a good overview of the alignment of the trolleybus line (in Spanish):
