The H line

For the first time in 63 years, a new subway line opened last week. . . in typical Buenos Aires style.

For a while, there were two or three opening dates circulating. Then a last-minute suit was filed to stop the line from opening. It was only minutes before the opening ceremony that a judge gave the green light to inaugurate the subway line.

The stations are shiny and new. The subway cars themselves are very old surplus from another line.

If you are a public transportation geek like me, you will find the flickr photos worth looking at.

So, let's see . . .

In Madrid, they built 80km of subway in three years. This stretch of 3.4km here took just over six years to build.*

The new mayor of Buenos Aires has promised 10km of new subte per year.

My reaction to that is an often heard refrain here:"¡Suerte!" Good luck!

* Granted, that six-year span included an economic collapse on the magnitude of the Great Depression.