Politécnico metro station is a Mexico City Metro station in Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City. It is an at-grade station with two side platforms that serves as the northern terminus of Line 5 (the Yellow line). It is followed by Instituto del Petróleo station. Politécnico station serves the colonias (neighborhoods) of Industrial Vallejo and Nueva Industrial Vallejo. The station's pictogram features the logo of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), a public university in Mexico City, and its name is on account of its proximity to the main campus. Politécnico metro station was opened on 30 August 1982, on the first day of the Politécnico–Pantitlán service. The station is partially accessible and there is also a mural inside titled La técnica al servicio de la patria by José Luis Elías Jáuregui. In 2019, the station had an average daily ridership of 34,586 passengers, making it the 28th busiest station in the network and the second busiest of the line, after Pantitlán.

Location

Politécnico is a metro station located along Eje Central (in the section formerly named 100 Metros Avenue), in Gustavo A. Madero, in northern Mexico City. The station serves the colonias (Mexican Spanish for "neighborhoods") of Industrial Vallejo and Nueva Industrial Vallejo. Within the system, the station is followed by Instituto del Petróleo station. Since September 2005 the area is serviced by Line 8 (formerly Line CP) of the trolleybus system. It is also serviced by a Centro de transferencia modal (CETRAM), a type of transport hub, and by Routes 23 and 103 of the Red de Transporte de Pasajeros network. There were plans to have a Cablebús station inside the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), a public university near the station. However, it was canceled due to the opposition of students.

Exits

There are two exits:

Landmarks

Inside the station, there is a mural painted by José Luis Elías Jáuregui and named La técnica al servicio de la patria, a reference to the IPN's motto. The mural was inaugurated in 1996 and depicts the history of the IPN, its culture and campus life, the Once TV network logo and the image of Lázaro Cárdenas, the 51st president of Mexico and founder of the university.

History and construction

Line 5 of the Mexico City Metro was built by Cometro, a subsidiary of Empresas ICA, and its last section was opened on 30 August 1982, operating from Pantitlán to Politécnico stations. The station is located at grade; the Politécnico–Instituto del Petróleo interstation is 1188 m long. The station's pictogram represents a 2D version of the IPN logo. The station is partially accessible to people with disabilities. In June 2006, Metro authorities replaced the railroad switches; in 2008, they had maintenance work done on the station's roof. During the 1980s and 1990s, it was proposed to expand Line 5 northbound towards the municipality of Tlalnepantla de Baz, in the State of Mexico, from Politécnico metro station. The expansion was proposed again for the 2018 master plan.

Incidents

On 9 March 2016, two cars derailed when the driver performed a parking maneuver at Politécnico station. One of the tires of the penultimate car jammed with the tracks. There were around 200 passengers inside the train with no casualties due to the low speed at which it operated. On 8 November 2020, Politécnico, Instituto del Petróleo and Lindavista stations were vandalized during feminist demonstrations; walls, screens, handrails, a train, and part of the La técnica al servicio de la patria mural were damaged and graffitied.

Ridership

According to the data provided by the authorities since the 2000s, Politécnico metro station has been one of the busiest stations of the system's 195 stations. Before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transport, commuters averaged per year between 32,600 and 35,200 daily entrances between 2013 and 2019; the station had a ridership of 12,624,212 passengers in 2019, which was an increase of 187,687 passengers compared to 2018. Also in 2019, Politécnico metro station was the 28th busiest of the system and it was the line's second-most used, after Pantitlán.