The Mexico City Metro experienced another service disruption on the afternoon of Saturday, 24 October, when an individual entered the track area of Line 2 and caused a 17-minute stoppage. The incident took place around 17:00 hours, and the general director of the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC), Adrián Rubalcava Suárez, reported it through social media.
- Key Point: A man jumped over fencing that separates Calzada de Tlalpan from the tracks of Line 2 on Saturday afternoon.
- Key Point: A train operator noticed the person in time, allowing staff to cut the electrical current and activate safety protocols.
- Key Point: Trains were stopped for 17 minutes before the person was removed from the tracks and handed over to authorities.
- Key Point: This was the second incident on Line 2 within a week, following a metallic object falling onto the tracks on 22 October.
Detection and service suspension
Rubalcava Suárez explained that the individual was identified because a conductor observed the moment the person jumped onto the tracks. That early warning made it possible to shut off power quickly, a measure required whenever someone enters the railway infrastructure to avoid an electric shock.
“Hoy, en la Línea 2 del @MetroCDMX, fue necesario suspender el servicio durante 17 minutos después de que una persona saltara las rejas que separan Calzada de Tlalpan de las vías. Gracias a que uno de nuestros conductores la detectó a tiempo, logramos cortar la corriente”, publicó Adrián Rubalcava.
Video shared by the STC director showed the person walking along the tracks. The images also highlighted how the intruder initially went unnoticed, and the interruption affected train movement even though it happened on a weekend.
Detention and warning about the danger
After the incident, personnel from the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) assigned to the Metro and the Institutional Security area removed the individual from the tracks and took the person into custody. Preliminary reports suggested the person may have been experiencing homelessness, but authorities did not specify the circumstances of the entry into the Metro network.
“Los elementos de la @SSC_CDMX asignados al Metro actuaron rápidamente, en coordinación con Seguridad Institucional, para retirarla de las vías y detenerla. La persona ya fue presentada ante las autoridades correspondientes. Ingresar a las vías pone en riesgo la vida: una descarga eléctrica puede ser mortal. Agradecemos a los usuarios su paciencia y comprensión”.
The director stressed that entering Metro tracks is life-threatening, not only because of moving trains but also because of the possibility of a fatal electric discharge. Power must be cut every time someone gets into these restricted zones.
Second problem on Line 2 in less than a week
The Saturday event came after another delay on the same line on 22 October, which was caused by a metal object falling onto the tracks. On that earlier occasion, Rubalcava Suárez also showed how user actions can disrupt train progress.
The two Line 2 incidents are part of a broader pattern of recent problems in the Mexico City Metro, including a fire on Line 9 and a short circuit at the Zaragoza station on Line 1. Such disruptions have renewed public concern about the security and vulnerability of the rail system’s surroundings.
Rubalcava Suárez’s social media posts sought to emphasize the responsibility of people who approach the tracks, especially at a time when every interruption affects thousands of passengers. Officials did not say whether the detained person would face additional charges or be placed under the care of a social assistance institution; they only confirmed that the individual was made available to the corresponding authorities.