Balderas metro station

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	Balderas Location within Mexico City
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Balderas
Balderas
STC rapid transit
	A NE-92 arriving to Line 1 platforms.
General information
Location	Avenida Balderas; Cuauhtémoc; Mexico City; Mexico
Coordinates	19°25′39″N 99°08′57″W / 19.42744°N 99.149036°W
Operated by	Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC)
Line(s)	(Observatorio - Pantitlán) ; (Indios Verdes - Universidad)
Platforms	4 side platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	Balderas; Balderas stop (temporary)
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Platform levels	2
Parking	No
Bicycle facilities	No
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Status	Out of service; In service
History
Opened	4 September 1969; 20 November 1970
Passengers
2023	Total: 16,067,800; 9,030,215; 7,037,585 21.82%
Rank	30/195; 57/195
Services
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	Balderas Location within Mexico City
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Balderas is an underground station on the Mexico City Metro.^[2]^[3] It is located in the Cuauhtémoc borough in the center of Mexico City.^[2] It is a transfer station along Lines 1 and 3.^[2]^[4] Since 9 November 2023, the Line 1 station has remained closed for modernization work on the tunnel and the line's technical equipment.^[5]

Name and iconography

The station receives its name from the nearby Balderas street, which in turn was named in honor of Lucas Balderas, a Mexican military officer that participated in the Mexican–American War and was killed at the Battle of Molino del Rey in 1847. It is said that his last words were "poor country of mine".^[6]^[7]

The station pictogram depicts the colonial-era cannon preserved on the nearby Plaza de La Ciudadela.^[2]^[3] The cannon is a reminder of the Ten Tragic Days, which was a period a little bit longer than 10 days in which a coup the democratically elected government of Francisco I. Madero took place. This chapter would end with the murder of President Madero and Vice-President José María Pino Suárez, as well as the rise to the presidency of Victoriano Huerta.^[2]

General information

Nearby Metro Balderas are some interesting places, like La Ciudadela market, filled with Mexican handicrafts,^[8] the José Vasconcelos Central Library of Mexico City,^[9] and facilities of broadcaster Televisa. Next to the library lies a tianguis (street market) full of books old and new, comics, collectibles, etc.

This station has an information desk and facilities for the disabled.^[2] It also displays a plaque unveiled on 19 September 2004, celebrating Mexican rock musician Rockdrigo González, killed exactly 19 years earlier in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake and composer of a song titled "Metro Balderas". In September 2011 a real-size bronze statue of Rockdrigo was also unveiled inside the station.^[10]

Although this station is totally underground, cellular phone signals (GSM and TDMA for several providers) are able to reach the platform. The station also has charging stations for mobile devices.^[11]

History

Metro Balderas was opened on 4 September 1969, as part of the first stage of Line 1, going from Chapultepec to Zaragoza.^[12]

The station became the network's second transfer station, when the first stretch of Line 3, from Tlatelolco to Hospital General, was opened in November 1970.^[12]

Incidents

On Friday, 18 September 2009 a shooting occurred on the platform. A man was tagging one of the station walls with a marker, therefore, he was confronted by a police officer. He reacted by taking out a gun and killing the officer and a construction worker who tried to disarm him, he also left five more wounded.^[13] The man later claimed that he committed the killings "in the name of God" and was sentenced to 151 years in prison.^[14]

On 29 December 2018, a woman gave birth to a child inside the station, at the Line 1 platforms, helped by personnel of the Mexican Red Cross.^[15]

Nearby

Biblioteca de México, public library.
Escuela Libre de Derecho, law school.
Televisa Chapultepec headquarters.
Parque Tolsá, park.
Centro Escolar Revolución, elementary school.

Exits

Line 1

North: Tolsá street and Balderas, Centro
South: Avenida Niños Héroes and Avenida Chapultepec, Colonia Doctores

Line 3

East: Avenida Arcos de Belén, Colonia Doctores
Southeast: Avenida Niños Héroes and Dr. Río de la Loza street, Colonia Doctores

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/Entrance
B1	Mezzanine for platform connection	Fare control/Ticket windows
	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Westbound	← toward Observatorio (Cuauhtémoc)
	Eastbound	→ toward Pantitlán (Salto del Agua) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right
B2	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Northbound	← toward Indios Verdes (Juárez)
	Southbound	→ toward Universidad (Niños Héroes) →
	Side platform, doors will open on the right

Ridership

Annual passenger ridership (Line 1)
Year	Ridership	Average daily	Rank	% change	Ref.
2023	9,030,215	24,740	30/195	+26.49%	^[1]
2022	7,139,186	19,559	46/195	+102.11%	^[1]
2021	3,532,268	9,677	87/195	−14.52%	^[16]
2020	4,132,493	11,290	87/195	−47.19%	^[17]
2019	7,825,656	21,440	81/195	+4.21%	^[18]
2018	7,509,318	20,573	86/195	−3.70%	^[19]
2017	7,797,786	21,363	78/195	−4.89%	^[20]
2016	8,198,425	22,400	78/195	−1.70%	^[21]
2015	8,340,249	22,849	72/195	+2.80%	^[22]
2014	8,113,226	22,228	74/195	−1.12%	^[23]

Annual passenger ridership (Line 3)
Year	Ridership	Average daily	Rank	% change	Ref.
2023	7,037,585	19,281	57/195	+16.32%	^[1]
2022	6,050,356	16,576	63/195	+368.70%	^[1]
2021	1,290,882	3,526	162/195	−16.14%	^[16]
2020	1,539,347	4,205	164/195	−45.80%	^[17]
2019	2,840,045	7,780	170/195	+0.02%	^[18]
2018	2,839,394	7,779	169/195	−0.48%	^[19]
2017	2,852,962	7,816	167/195	−2.89%	^[20]
2016	2,937,959	8,027	167/195	+3.74%	^[21]
2015	2,832,055	7,759	156/195	−10.79%	^[22]
2014	3,174,677	8,697	148/195	+8.92%	^[23]

Gallery

Entrance to the station in the corner of Avenida Chapultepec and Av. Niños Héroes
Entrance sign to the station
Line 3 platforms
Commemorative plaque to Rockdrigo González
Statue honoring Rockdrigo

References

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Afluencia de estación por línea 2023" [Station traffic per line 2023] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2024. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Balderas" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Archambault, Richard. "Balderas (Line 1) » Mexico City Metro System". Retrieved 1 July 2012.
^ Archambault, Richard. "Balderas (Line 3)» Mexico City Metro System". Retrieved 1 July 2012.
^ "Cierre de la Línea 1: El ABC de las estaciones cerradas y el RTP". 9 November 2023.
^ "¿Sabes por qué el logotipo de la estación Balderas es un cañón?". Excélsior (in Spanish). 9 May 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
^ "Lucas Balderas". www.durangomas.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 February 2019.
^ "Mercado de La Ciudadela". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
^ "Biblioteca Vasconcelos" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
^ "Rockdrigo 'cantará' permanentemente en el metro Balderas del DF" (in Spanish). Expansión. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
^ "Instalan en Metro Balderas centros de carga para celulares". Diario de México (in Spanish). 15 August 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Balderas" (in Spanish). Metro CDMX. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
^ Avila, Eduardo (20 September 2009). "Mexico: Shooting at Balderas Metro Station". Global Voices Online.
^ "El día en que el Metro Balderas se tiñó de rojo". Reporte Indigo (in Spanish). 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
^ "Nace un bebé en la estación Balderas del Metro de la CDMX" (in Spanish). Noticieros Televisa. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Afluencia de estación por línea 2014" [Station traffic per line 2014] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2015. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

External links

Media related to Balderas (station) at Wikimedia Commons
"Rockdrigo Memorial". Atlas Obscura.

[passnrank22-23-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Afluencia de estación por línea 2023" [Station traffic per line 2023] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2024. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

[metro-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Balderas" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.

[archambault-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b Archambault, Richard. "Balderas (Line 1) » Mexico City Metro System". Retrieved 1 July 2012.

[archambault_line3-4] Archambault, Richard. "Balderas (Line 3)» Mexico City Metro System". Retrieved 1 July 2012.

[5] "Cierre de la Línea 1: El ABC de las estaciones cerradas y el RTP". 9 November 2023.

[6] "¿Sabes por qué el logotipo de la estación Balderas es un cañón?". Excélsior (in Spanish). 9 May 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2019.

[7] "Lucas Balderas". www.durangomas.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 February 2019.

[ciudela_times-8] "Mercado de La Ciudadela". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.

[vasconcelos-9] "Biblioteca Vasconcelos" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2012.

[10] "Rockdrigo 'cantará' permanentemente en el metro Balderas del DF" (in Spanish). Expansión. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2019.

[11] "Instalan en Metro Balderas centros de carga para celulares". Diario de México (in Spanish). 15 August 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2019.

[MetroCDMX-12] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Balderas" (in Spanish). Metro CDMX. Retrieved 18 February 2019.

[avila-13] Avila, Eduardo (20 September 2009). "Mexico: Shooting at Balderas Metro Station". Global Voices Online.

[14] "El día en que el Metro Balderas se tiñó de rojo". Reporte Indigo (in Spanish). 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2019.

[15] "Nace un bebé en la estación Balderas del Metro de la CDMX" (in Spanish). Noticieros Televisa. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2019.

[passnrank21-16] Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.

[passnrank20-17] Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.

[passnrank19-18] Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.

[passrank18-19] Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.

[passrank17-20] Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.

[passrank16-21] Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.

[passrank15-22] Jump up to: ^a ^b "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.

[passrank14-23] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Afluencia de estación por línea 2014" [Station traffic per line 2014] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2015. Archived from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

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v t e Mexico City Metro stations
Line 1	Observatorio Tacubaya Juanacatlán Chapultepec Sevilla Insurgentes Cuauhtémoc Balderas Salto del Agua Isabel la Católica Pino Suárez Merced Candelaria San Lázaro Moctezuma Balbuena Boulevard Puerto Aéreo Gómez Farías Zaragoza Pantitlán
Line 2	Cuatro Caminos Panteones Tacuba Cuitláhuac Popotla Colegio Militar Normal San Cosme Revolución Hidalgo Bellas Artes Allende Zócalo/Tenochtitlan Pino Suárez San Antonio Abad Chabacano Viaducto Xola Villa de Cortés Nativitas Portales Ermita General Anaya Tasqueña
Line 3	Indios Verdes Deportivo 18 de Marzo Potrero La Raza Tlatelolco Guerrero Hidalgo Juárez Balderas Niños Héroes / Poder Judicial CDMX Hospital General Centro Médico Etiopía / Plaza de la Transparencia Eugenia División del Norte Zapata Coyoacán Viveros / Derechos Humanos Miguel Ángel de Quevedo Copilco Universidad
Line 4	Martín Carrera Talismán Bondojito Consulado Canal del Norte Morelos Candelaria Fray Servando Jamaica Santa Anita
Line 5	Politécnico Instituto del Petróleo Autobuses del Norte La Raza Misterios Valle Gómez Consulado Eduardo Molina Aragón Oceanía Terminal Aérea Hangares Pantitlán
Line 6	El Rosario Tezozómoc UAM-Azcapotzalco Ferrería/Arena Ciudad de México Norte 45 Vallejo Instituto del Petróleo Lindavista Deportivo 18 de Marzo La Villa-Basílica Martín Carrera
Line 7	El Rosario Aquiles Serdán Camarones Refinería Tacuba San Joaquín Polanco Auditorio Constituyentes Tacubaya San Pedro de los Pinos San Antonio Mixcoac Barranca del Muerto
Line 8	Garibaldi / Lagunilla Bellas Artes San Juan de Letrán Salto del Agua Doctores Obrera Chabacano La Viga Santa Anita Coyuya Iztacalco Apatlaco Aculco Escuadrón 201 Atlalilco Iztapalapa Cerro de la Estrella UAM-I Constitución de 1917
Line 9	Tacubaya Patriotismo Chilpancingo Centro Médico Lázaro Cárdenas Chabacano Jamaica Mixiuhca Velódromo Ciudad Deportiva Puebla Pantitlán
Line A	Pantitlán Agrícola Oriental Canal de San Juan Tepalcates Guelatao Peñón Viejo Acatitla Santa Marta Los Reyes La Paz
Line B	Ciudad Azteca Plaza Aragón Olímpica Ecatepec Múzquiz Río de los Remedios Impulsora Nezahualcóyotl Villa de Aragón Bosque de Aragón Deportivo Oceanía Oceanía Romero Rubio Ricardo Flores Magón San Lázaro Morelos Tepito Lagunilla Garibaldi / Lagunilla Guerrero Buenavista
Line 12	Observatorio Álvaro Obregón Valentín Campa Mixcoac Insurgentes Sur Hospital 20 de Noviembre Zapata Parque de los Venados Eje Central Ermita Mexicaltzingo Atlalilco Culhuacán San Andrés Tomatlán Lomas Estrella Calle 11 Periférico Oriente Tezonco Olivos Nopalera Zapotitlán Tlaltenco Tláhuac
indicates the station is under construction or reconstruction

v t e Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City
Neighborhoods	Centro Barrio Chino La Merced Algarín Ampliación Asturias Asturias Atlampa Buenavista Buenos Aires Centro Urbano Benito Juárez Condesa Cuauhtémoc Doctores Esperanza Exhipódromo de Peralvillo Felipe Pescador Guerrero Hipódromo Hipódromo Condesa Juárez Maza Morelos Obrera Paulino Navarro Peralvillo Roma San Rafael San Simón Tolnáhuac Santa María Insurgentes Santa María la Ribera Tabacalera Tepito Tránsito Urbano Nonoalco Tlatelolco Vista Alegre Zona Rosa
Landmarks	Alameda Central Antimonumenta Antimonumento +43 Antimonumento +72 Avenida Juárez Bench of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara Biblioteca Vasconcelos Buenavista railway station (current) Buenavista old train station Cruz de Mañozca El Sereno Esquina de la Información Former Aeromexico headquarters Forum Buenavista Fountain to Bartolomé de las Casas Fuente de la República Glorieta de la Palma Glorieta de los Insurgentes Hilton Mexico City Reforma How Doth the Little Crocodile Monumento a la Raza Monumento a la Revolución Monument to Pope John Paul II País de volcanes Palace of Iturbide Paseo de la Reforma Plaza Giordano Bruno Puerta 1808 Taquería El Califa de León Torre del Caballito Torre Insignia Torre MAPFRE Historic buildings of Mexico City Centro Landmarks of Colonias Condesa and Roma
Mexico City Metro stations	Allende Balderas Bellas Artes Buenavista Chabacano Chilpancingo Centro Médico Cuauhtémoc Doctores Garibaldi / Lagunilla Guerrero Hidalgo Hospital General Insurgentes Isabel la Católica Juárez La Viga Lagunilla Lázaro Cárdenas Misterios Niños Héroes / Poder Judicial CDMX Obrera Patriotismo Pino Suárez Revolución Salto del Agua San Antonio Abad San Cosme San Juan de Letrán Sevilla Tepito Tlatelolco Zócalo/Tenochtitlan
Schools	Sistema Educativo Justo Sierra Plantel Azahares Colegio Amado Nervo Colegio de San Ignacio de Loyola Vizcaínas

v t e Roma–Condesa, Mexico City
Condesa	Avenida Ámsterdam Basurto Building Condesa pocket park Edificio México Ernesto Buenrostro Esquina Común Francisco J. Serrano Michoacán Market Parque España Parque México
Roma	Avenida Álvaro Obregón Casa Lamm Casa Museo Leonora Carrington Centro Urbano Benito Juárez Em Fuente de Cibeles Garros Galería Insurgentes 300 Jardín Edith Sánchez Ramírez Jardín Ramón López Velarde Mercado Medellín Mercado Roma Mexico City College Museo del Objeto del Objeto Plaza Río de Janeiro La Romita Rosetta Salón de la Plástica Mexicana Universidad de Londres
Transportation	Balderas metro station Chilpancingo metro station Cuauhtémoc Insurgentes metro station
Roma–Condesa	Trolleybuses of Roma–Condesa