Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

Table of Contents

Overview - Fortaleza

Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Fortaleza is the capital of and the largest city by population in Ceará. It has approximately 2,703,000 inhabitants in the city proper as of 2021. The Fortaleza metropolitan area comprised 4,167,996 residents as of the 2021 IBGE census estimate.

Fortaleza's rapid transit network consists of a metro service and two bus rapid transit lines. It also has two commuter rail lines.

Fortaleza Metro (Metrofor)

Opened 2012, Fortaleza Metro (AKA Metrofor) consists of a metro service and two commuter rail services that serve the city of Fortaleza, Ceará and the surrounding suburbs. An additional line is under construction, as is a spur line to the airport.

South Line (Linha Sul)

The South Line of the Fortaleza Metro is a metro service on a North-South alignment. It runs from Central-Chico da Silva in the north to Carlito Benevides in the south, serving 20 stations.

The South Line was opened for trial service in June 2012 and for revenue service in October 2014, and the last extension to the line was the opening of Padre Cícero in December 2019. The South Line is owned by the Government of the State of Ceará and operated by the Companhia Cearense de Transportes Metropolitanos.

West Line (Linha Oeste)

The West Line of the Fortaleza Metro is a commuter rail service on an East-West alignment. It runs from Tirol-Moura Brasil in the east to Caucaia in the west, serving 10 stations.

The West Line was reopened in 1988, gaining its current form in January 2014. The West Line is owned by the Government of the State of Ceará and operated by the Companhia Cearense de Transportes Metropolitanos.

Northeast Line - VLT Parangaba-Mucuripe (Linha Nordeste)

The Ramal Parangaba-Mucuripe of the Fortaleza Metro is a commuter rail service on a Northeast-Southwest alignment. It runs from Iate in the northeast to Parangaba in the southwest, serving 11 stations.

The Ramal Parangaba-Mucuripe was opened for trial service in July 2017 and was officially inaugurated in July 2018. The last extension was to Iate in September 2020. The last expansion was the opening of Expedicionários in December 2022. The Ramal Parangaba-Mucuripe is owned by the Government of the State of Ceará and operated by the Companhia Cearense de Transportes Metropolitanos.

Expresso Fortaleza

Opened 2015, Expresso Fortaleza consists of two bus rapid transit lines that serve the city of Fortaleza, Ceará and the surrounding suburbs.

Corredor Antônio Bezerra-Papicu

The Corredor Antônio Bezerra-Papicu is a bus rapid transit line on an East-West alignment. It runs from North Shopping in the west to Mercado São Sebastião in the east, serving 11 stations of which all are served in a single direction only along Av. Bezerra de Menezes. It does not reach either Terminal Antônio Bezerra or Papicu.

The Corredor Antônio Bezerra-Papicu was opened as a BRT-Lite line in 2012 and upgraded to BRT for opening in July 2015.

Corredor Messejana-Centro

The Corredor Messejana-Centro is a bus rapid transit line on an North-South alignment. It runs from Jornal O Povo in the north to Fátima in the south, serving 4 stations along Av. Aguanambi. It does not reach either the center of the city or Messejana.

The Corredor Messejana-Centro was opened in December 2018.

References & Helpful Links

Fortaleza Metro at Wikipedia | Metrô de Fortaleza at Wikipedia.pt

Expresso Fortaleza at Wikipedia.pt

Official Website for Fortaleza Metro: Metrofor

Maps

Other Sources

Fortaleza, Brazil at Urbanrail.net

Fortaleza, Brazil at BRTDATA.org

Other Websites

External Citations

Asset Notes

The Fortaleza Metro colors were taken from the colors used on the official geographic maps as of July 28, 2022. Unbuilt lines use generic colors.

Expresso Fortaleza colors taken from logo on Wikipedia as of July 28, 2022.