What Metro de Quito does

Metro de Quito is a state-owned municipal public enterprise (Empresa Pública Metropolitana Metro de Quito, or EPMMQ) that operates Ecuador's first urban metro system, the Primera Línea del Metro de Quito (PLMQ). The network comprises 15 stations running 22.5 km between Quitumbe and El Labrador, supported by electromechanical infrastructure, railway signaling systems, telecommunications networks, and an integrated fare collection platform. The system serves Quito residents and visitors as a daily urban mass-transit option, with 5.4 million monthly trips recorded in May 2026 and 144 million accumulated trips since commercial launch in December 2023.

The company earns revenue primarily through passenger fares — US$0.45 per standard trip and US$0.60 per integrated Sistema Integrado de Transporte (SIT) trip — collected at station ticket booths and via rechargeable SIT cards. A secondary revenue layer comes from non-tariff strategic alliances in telecommunications, advertising, and commercial space rentals, pursued through the 'Invierte en Quito' partnership program. Operational scope is supplemented by digital and cultural products including the Cuenta Ciudad citizen account platform, MetroCultura cultural programming, MetroJuegos educational games, and MetroTalleres training programs, all of which reinforce community engagement with the transit system.

The organization is wholly owned by the Municipio del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito and led by General Manager Juan Carlos Parra. It holds a regulatory monopoly on metro rail transit in Quito and is contractually integrated with the city's broader SIT multi-modal transit network. Strategic priorities indicated by recent activity include line extension studies toward La Ofelia and Calderón, maintenance outsourcing for infrastructure and signaling, and expansion of non-tariff commercial revenue through station-based partnerships.

Name

Metro de Quito

Legal name

Empresa Pública Metropolitana Metro de Quito

Website

https://metrodequito.gob.ec

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Metro de Quito is a state-owned municipal enterprise operating Ecuador's first metro system — a 15-station, 22.5 km urban rail line serving daily commuters across Quito with integrated SIT ticketing and non-tariff commercial services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Mass Transit / Public Rail Transportation

NAICS

Urban Transit Systems (48511), Mixed Mode Transit Systems (485111)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Metro/Urban Rail Operators (Integrated Multimodal Agencies) (TLAFAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Heavy Rail Metro/Subway Operators (Grade-Separated) (TLAFAEAA)

Keywords

• Urban rail transit
• Public metro services
• Mass transit operations
• Integrated transportation
• Passenger rail services

Headquarters

HQ city

Quito

HQ country

Ecuador

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Passenger Fares: Revenue generated from standard fares at US$ 0.45 per trip and integrated SIT fares at US$ 0.60 per trip, collected at station ticket booths and through card recharge systems.
2. Non-Tariff Business Services: Revenue from strategic alliances offering telecommunications services, advertising opportunities, and commercial space rentals within metro stations and premises.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Metro de Quito operates the Primera Línea del Metro de Quito (PLMQ), Ecuador's first underground metro system, providing urban passenger rail transportation across 15 stations spanning 22.5 km from Quitumbe to El Labrador. The system is integrated with Quito's broader Sistema Integrado de Transporte (SIT) for multi-modal fare payment, accepts both standard tickets and SIT cards, and offers passengers daily mass transit service with standardized fares.

Product overview

Metro de Quito operates as a unified urban rail transit system, specifically the Primera Línea del Metro de Quito (PLMQ), a 22.5 km metro line with 15 stations running from Quitumbe to El Labrador. The product portfolio includes the core metro service supported by supplementary digital and cultural offerings: Cuenta Ciudad for citizen account management, MetroCultura as the cultural and educational arm encompassing MetroJuegos (educational games) and MetroTalleres (formation programs), and the Sistema Integrado de Transporte (SIT) for integrated ticketing with other transit modes. The company also offers commercial services including telecommunications and advertising spaces, and maintains a public contracting portal for maintenance services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primera Línea del Metro de Quito (PLMQ) Urban metro rail transit service running 22.5 km across 15 stations from Quitumbe to El Labrador, providing daily passenger rail transportation to Quito residents and visitors.
• Sistema Integrado de Transporte (SIT) Integrated public transportation system connecting the Metro de Quito with other Quito transit modes, offering unified ticketing and coordinated multi-modal travel across the city's public transit network.
• Boletos y Tarjeta SIT Standard metro tickets and rechargeable SIT fare cards sold at station ticket offices, enabling fare payment for metro rides (US$0.45 per trip) and integrated multi-modal transportation (US$0.60 per trip).

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Telecommunications CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetro de Quito seeks strategic alliance partners in the telecommunications sector for providing services within the Primera Línea del Metro de Quito (PLMQ). Companies interested in offering telecommunications services can register through the 'Invierte en Quito' program.
• Advertising CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetro de Quito seeks strategic alliance partners in the advertising sector for providing advertising services within metro stations and premises along the Primera Línea del Metro de Quito (PLMQ).
• Maintenance Service ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPMMQ contracts maintenance services for infrastructure, superstructure, electromechanical systems, telecommunications, and railway signaling of the Primera Línea del Metro de Quito. This includes preventive and corrective maintenance for all PLMQ systems.
• Construction and Engineering ConsultanciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPMMQ engages consultancies for definitive studies on the extension of the metro line to La Ofelia, profiling of railway lines to Calderón, and strengthening the Metro de Quito railway subsystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Metro de Panamá: Operates the Panama Metro, a relatively new Latin American metro system. Comparable as a regional peer that recently opened its first line and is scaling ridership and network extensions, mirroring Metro de Quito's growth trajectory.
• Metrorrey (Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Monterrey): Public metro/light rail operator in Monterrey, Mexico. Comparable as a regional government-owned urban rail operator with fare revenue, integrated ticketing, and ongoing expansion considerations.
• Autoridad del Transporte Urbano (ATU) / Lima Metro: Oversees urban transit in Lima, Peru, including the Lima Metro. Comparable as a regional Latin American metro/transit operator building a single line at a similar development stage to Metro de Quito's PLMQ.
• Sistema de Tren Eléctrico Urbano (SITEUR) - Guadalajara Light Rail: Public operator of light rail and supporting transit in Guadalajara, Mexico. Comparable as a regional, government-owned Latin American urban rail operator with similar integration into broader city transit.

Direct peers

• Subterráneos de Buenos Aires (SBASE): Manages the Buenos Aires Subte metro system in Argentina. Comparable as a publicly-owned urban metro operator in a Latin American capital with fare-based revenue and government backing.
• Metro de Medellín: Public enterprise operating metro and complementary urban rail systems in Medellín, Colombia. Directly comparable as a municipally-owned, multimodal Latin American metro operator with integrated transit and non-fare revenue streams.
• Metro de Santiago: Operates the urban metro of Santiago, Chile. Closely comparable as a Latin American grade-separated metro operator with integrated ticketing, multiple lines, and high ridership, providing a useful benchmark for scale and operating model.

Emerging players

• TransMilenio S.A. Manages Bogotá's BRT and integrated transit system. Comparable as a publicly-managed integrated multimodal transit system in a Latin American capital, relevant for benchmarking SIT-style integration with feeder modes.

Broad incumbents

• Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (Metro de la Ciudad de México): Operates the Mexico City Metro, one of the largest in the Americas. Comparable as a publicly-owned urban metro operator with fare revenue and large captive ridership, though at far greater scale and network complexity.
• Metro de São Paulo (Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo): Operates one of the largest metro networks in the Southern Hemisphere. Comparable as a state/municipal-owned metro operator in a major Latin American city with fare and non-fare revenue streams, though at materially larger scale.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MetrodeQuito
• Facebookfacebook.com/MetrodeQuito
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metro-de-quito

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metro de Quito