Polanco metro station
Mexico City Metro station

Pictogram of Polanco metro station. It features the silhouette of a clock tower. Polanco
Mexico City Metro
Picture of a sign indicating one of the entrances to Polanco station.
Station sign, 2022
General information
LocationHoracio Avenue
Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City
Mexico
Coordinates19°26′01″N 99°11′28″W / 19.4336°N 99.1910°W / 19.4336; -99.1910
SystemMexico City Metro
Owned byGovernment of Mexico City
Operated bySistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC)
LineMexico City Metro Line 7 (El Rosario – Barranca del Muerto)
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
AccessiblePartial
Other information
StatusIn service
History
Opened20 December 1984; 41 years ago (1984-12-20)
Passengers
202411,803,141[1][a] Increase 21.76%
Rank15/195[1][a]
Services
Preceding station Mexico City Metro Following station
San Joaquín
toward El Rosario
 Line 7 Auditorio
toward Barranca del Muerto
Location
Polanco is located in Mexico City
Polanco
Pictogram of Polanco metro station. It features the silhouette of a clock tower. Polanco
Location within Mexico City
Map
Area map and exits

Polanco metro station[b] is a station of the Mexico City Metro in the city's borough of Miguel Hidalgo. It is an underground stop with two side platforms serving Line 7 (Orange Line), between San Joaquín and Auditorio. It was opened on 20 December 1984, providing service north toward Tacuba and southwest toward Auditorio.

Polanco metro station services the colonia (neighborhood) of Polanco, one of the most expensive shopping districts in the country, and is named after it. The pictogram depicts the clock tower at nearby Lincoln Park. The station is one of the deepest on the network, and the facilities offer partial accessibility for people with disabilities, including elevators. In addition to escalators, commuters can use the staircases, including a giant piano-shaped set equipped with motion sensors that play key sounds whenever the steps are used. In 2024, the station had an average daily ridership of 32,249 passengers, making it the 15th busiest station in the network.

Location and layout

Polanco is an underground metro station located along Horacio Avenue, in the Miguel Hidalgo borough of Mexico City.[2] It serves the affluent Colonia of Polanco, one of the most expensive shopping districts in the country, benefiting visitors of American Park, Uruguay Square and Presidente Masaryk Avenue.[3] The area is the most expensive to live in near a metro station, with an average price of Mex$94,800 (around US$4,700) per 1 m2 (11 sq ft) as of 2019.[4]

The station's pictogram features the silhouette of the clock tower found in nearby Lincoln Park.[2] The stop is named after the neighborhood, which takes its name from a river unofficially named after Juan Alfonso de Polanco, a Spanish Jesuit priest.[5] The station has two exits: the west exit at the corner of Horacio Avenue and Temístocles Street, and the east exit at the corner of Arquímedes Street on the opposite side of Horacio Avenue.[2] It has a partially accessible service for people with disabilities with elevators and escalators.[2] The latter were renovated in 2018 due to their obsolescence.[6]

Polanco metro station is located between San Joaquín and Auditorio stations on the line.[2] The area is serviced by Route 13-D of the city's public bus system[7] and by the Ecobici network.[8]

Landmarks

A staircase decorated as if each step was the key of a piano. It is located between two escalators.
The interactive staircase in 2014

In collaboration with the National Polytechnic Institute, authorities decorated the staircase connecting the platforms with the next level to resemble a piano. It has 54 steps divided into three sections, with two landings. The white steps are made of white marble, and the black ones of black granite.[9] Each white step has a motion sensor that produces a key sound when activated, while black steps have two sensors allowing users to produce accidental notes.[10] The inferior section produces low tones, and the upper part high tones.[9] Laser sensors were installed instead of contact sensors to accommodate high ridership. Their service life is five years but can be extended with proper maintenance.[10] The decoration, installed in 2014, was designed to promote physical stimulation among commuters.[3][11][12]

Inside the station's lobby, there are four cultural showcases.[2] In 2017, Polanco was selected as a system's emblematic station in order to promote UNESCO's past and future programs in Mexico.[13][14]

History and construction

Line 7 of the Mexico City Metro was built by Cometro, a subsidiary of Empresas ICA.[15] Its first section opened on 20 December 1984, operating from Tacuba to Auditorio stations.[16] The tunnel between Polanco and San Joaquín spans 1,163 meters (3,816 ft), while the section toward Auditorio measures 812 meters (2,664 ft).[17] The station is one of the deepest on the network,[3] with staircases totaling around 110 steps.[18]

Incidents

On 16 October 2019, the escalators suddenly stopped, causing four commuters to fall, including an 82-year-old man. Three were taken to a hospital, but none sustained serious injuries.[19] Investigations revealed that the incident was triggered by a fight between two men on the escalators, who then fled after causing the stoppage.[20]

On 15 January 2023, two cars separated when the train arrived at the station. Witnesses reported an explosion and smoke from the affected area, but no injuries occurred.[21] The accident took place amid government allegations that the transport system faced potential sabotage and other "atypical incidents" supposedly linked to opponents of the Fourth Transformation, the political platform of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, following the 2023 Mexico City Metro train crash.[22][23] Guillermo Calderón, director of the Mexico City Metro, explained that a loosened and a disgorged bolt caused a safety cylinder to break, separating the cars. He denied that the incident resulted from maintenance issues, noting that the train had been overhauled just days earlier.[22][24]

Another stoppage occurred on 24 October 2023, when the escalator abruptly halted and recoiled, injuring seven commuters. Metro authorities reported that damaged fuses in the internal connection suggested it had been manually stopped.[25] Among those injured was Fátima Neri, an international archer and medalist, who suffered a broken leg and was left with a disability due to an alleged misdiagnosis at the hospital where the authorities transported her.[26]

Ridership

Graphic showing daily ridership
Daily ridership for Polanco station in 2024

According to the data provided by the authorities, before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transport, commuters averaged per year between 31,300 and 35,700 daily entrances between 2015 and 2019.

The station had a ridership of 11,803,141 passengers in 2024, marking an increase of 2,109,117 passengers compared to 2023. In 2024 specifically, Polanco metro station ranked as the 15th busiest station out of the system's 195 stations.[1]

Annual passenger ridership[a]
Year Ridership Average daily Rank % change Ref.
2024 11,803,141 32,249 15/195 +21.76% [1]
2023 9,694,024 26,558 26/195 +30.04% [1]
2022 7,454,437 20,423 40/195 +38.73% [1]
2021 5,373,504 14,721 45/195 −13.03% [27]
2020 6,178,428 16,880 40/195 −52.58% [28]
2019 13,028,555 35,694 24/195 +5.05% [29]
2018 12,402,252 33,978 29/195 +3.51% [30]
2017 11,981,607 32,862 32/195 +1.26% [31]
2016 11,832,706 32,329 38/195 +3.27% [32]
2015 11,458,073 31,391 41/195 +11.16% [33]
  • Picture of a clock tower whose clock reads 4:57 in the afternoon.
    The clock tower at Lincoln Park was the inspiration for the station's pictogram.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c The data here is limited to the most recent ten years to avoid excessive listings; earlier figures can be found in this page's history or on the Mexico City Metro website. To calculate the average daily ridership, the annual total is divided by 365 days (366 in leap years), with decimals omitted from the result. Each station per line is ranked individually, as the system counts transfer stations separately. The percentage change is calculated automatically using the data from the current year and the previous year.
  2. ^ Estación del Metro Polanco. Spanish pronunciation: [poˈlaŋko] ⓘ.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Afluencia de estación por línea (2022–presente)" [Station traffic by line (2022–present)] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2025. Archived from the original on 8 February 2025. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Polanco" (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Mandujano Ortiz, Sthefany (22 May 2017). "¿Qué hay afuera del Metro Polanco?" [What is outside Polanco metro station?]. máspormás (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Polanco, la zona más cara para vivir cerca de una estación del Metro" [Polanco, the most expensive zone to live near a metro station]. El Economista (in Spanish). 25 April 2019. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  5. ^ Castro, Juan (1 December 2016). "¿De dónde recibe su nombre Polanco?" [What is the origin of Polanco's name?]. López-Dóriga Digital (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  6. ^ "STC pone en funcionamiento nuevas escaleras electromecánicas en Auditorio y Polanco de la Línea 7" [STC inaugurates new escalators at Auditorio and Polanco stations on Line 7] (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. 3 December 2021. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Red de corredores" [Route network] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Mapa de disponibilidad" [Disponibility map] (in Spanish). Ecobici. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  9. ^ a b Méndez, Sarahí (9 September 2014). "La escalera musical del Metro Polanco" [The musical staircase of Polanco metro station]. Noticieros Televisa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  10. ^ a b Carranza, Patricia (11 September 2014). "Lo que no sabes del piano gigante de Polanco" [What you don't know about Polanco's giant piano]. máspormás (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  11. ^ Aguilera, Margarita (6 September 2014). "Instalan escalera musical en Metro Polanco" [Musical staircase is installed at Polanco metro station]. El Universal (in Spanish). Mexico City. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Convierten escaleras del Metro Polanco en piano gigante" [Staircase at Polanco metro station converted into a giant piano]. Excélsior (in Spanish). 6 September 2014. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Inaugura STC estación emblemática de la Unesco en Polanco" [STC inaugurates emblematic UNESCO station in Polanco]. Portal Automotriz (in Spanish). 25 November 2017. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  14. ^ "El Metro Polanco se viste de la UNESCO" [Polanco metro station wears UNESCO]. UNESCO (in Spanish). 25 November 2017. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Línea 7, Ciudad de México" [Line 7, Mexico City] (in Spanish). iNGENET Infraestructura. 20 July 2009. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  16. ^ Escobedo, Alina (8 September 2021). "¿Cuáles son las estaciones de la Línea 7 del Metro de la CDMX?" [Which are the stations of the Mexico City Metro Line 7?]. Noticieros Televisa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Longitud de estación a estación por línea" [Length from station to station by line] (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  18. ^ Zamarrón, Israel (13 March 2019). "Seguirán escaladas en la Línea 7 de Metro" [Riders will continue using escalators on Line 7 of the Metro]. El Sol de México (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Procuraduría capitalina investiga paro repentino de escaleras eléctricas que dejó lesionados en Metro Polanco" [Mexico City District Attorney investigates sudden escalator stoppage that left passengers injured at Polanco metro station]. El Financiero (in Spanish). 16 October 2019. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  20. ^ Willick, Carol (16 October 2019). "Y en la nota idiota del día: pelea en las escaleras eléctricas provoca caída de usuarios del Metro" [And in today's ridiculous news: fight on escalators causes Metro riders to fall]. Sopitas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Metro: se separan vagones de tren en estación Polanco; reportan estallido" [Metro: train cars detach at Polanco station; explosion reported]. Forbes (in Spanish). 15 January 2023. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  22. ^ a b Pérez Ángeles, Vianey (16 January 2023). "Sabotaje en Metro Polanco: Cilindro de seguridad desprendido provocó la separación de vagones (VIDEO)" [Sabotage at Polanco metro station: detached safety cylinder caused train cars to separate (VIDEO)]. SDP Noticias (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  23. ^ "AMLO respalda a Sheinbaum y acusa intento por 'desestabilizar' y 'sabotear' a su gobierno" [AMLO backs Sheinbaum and accuses an attempt to 'destabilize' and 'sabotage' his government]. Animal Político (in Spanish). 21 January 2023. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  24. ^ "Línea 7 del Metro: Un tornillo flojo y otro degollado, causa de separación de trenes en Polanco" [Metro Line 7: A loose screw and a broken one caused train separation in Polanco]. El Financiero (in Spanish). 16 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  25. ^ "¿Sabotaje? Metro descarta falla en escalera de Polanco donde cayeron usuarios" [Sabotage? Metro authorities deny malfunction at Polanco escalator where passengers fell]. El Financiero (in Spanish). 24 October 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  26. ^ Hernández, Maritza (25 August 2025). "'Temo perder la pierna'; arquera exige justicia al Metro de la CDMX" ['I fear losing my leg': Archer demands justice from Mexico City Metro]. El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  27. ^ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2021" [Station traffic per line 2021] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2022. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  28. ^ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2020" [Station traffic per line 2020] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2021. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  29. ^ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2019" [Station traffic per line 2019] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2020. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  30. ^ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2018" [Station traffic per line 2018] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  31. ^ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2017" [Station traffic per line 2017] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  32. ^ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2016" [Station traffic per line 2016] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2017. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Afluencia de estación por línea 2015" [Station traffic per line 2015] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2016. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  • Media related to Estación Polanco (Metro de México) at Wikimedia Commons
  • "Metro Polanco". At the Official Guide to Mexico City.
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