metro station is a Mexico City Metro transfer station in the boroughs of and , in Mexico City. The station features a combination of underground, at-grade, and elevated buildings. It has six island platforms and two side platforms, serving Lines 1 (Pink Line), 5 (Yellow Line), 9 (Brown Line), and A (Purple Line). metro station is the only four-line interchange station in the system. It serves as the terminal station for all lines and is followed by (Line 1), (Line 5), (Line 9), and (Line A) metro stations.
metro station opened on 19 December 1981 providing service northwest toward on Line 5; westward service toward on Line 1 began on 22 August 1984; service west toward on Line 9 started on 26 August 1987; and southeastward service toward on Line A commenced on 12 August 1991. The station serves the (neighborhoods) of , , and , and is named after the last one, along and . The station's pictogram features the silhouettes of two flagpoles with blank flags, reflecting the meaning of "Pantitlán", which in Nahuatl means "between flags".
The station facilities offer partial accessibility for people with disabilities as there are elevators, wheelchair ramps, tactile paving, and braille signage plates. Inside, there are a cultural display, an Internet café, a women's defense module, a health module, and a mural. Outside, the station includes a transportation hub servicing local bus routes, there is a public ministry office, and a bicycle parking station. is the busiest station in the system. In 2019, before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transport, the station recorded a ridership of 132,845,471 passenger entries. In comparison, , which ranked second, had 39,378,128 passenger entries. As of 2025, recorded a ridership of 55,089,833 passenger entries following multiple reconstruction works carried out in previous years.
The station area has experienced subsidence since at least the 1990s, primarily due to the extraction of groundwater to meet the demands of the large population in eastern Mexico City and the metropolitan area. From July 2022 to October 2023, the Line 1 station was closed for upgrades to the tunnel and technical equipment. Between December 2023 and September 2024, the Line 9 station was closed for re-leveling of the elevated viaduct due to continued subsidence.
Location and layout
is a metro transfer station situated at the intersection of and , spanning the boroughs of and , in eastern Mexico City. The station serves three (neighborhoods): , , and .
metro station serves as the terminal station for Lines 1, 5, 9, and A. It is followed by on Line 1, on Line 5, on Line 9, and on Line A. metro station provides accessible services for people with disabilities with elevators on Lines 1 and A, wheelchair ramps and escalators on Line 9, and tactile paving and braille signage plates on Lines 1, 9 and A.
metro station has multiple exits serving its various lines. The exit for Line 1 is located to the west and provides access to and in , . For Line 5, there are two exits: the northern exit is situated along in , while the southern exit is on , also in .
Line 9 has two exits as well. The western exit can be found along in , . The eastern exit is located at the corner of and in , .
Lastly, Line A has three exits. The northern exit is at the intersection of and in , and , within the same neighborhood. The southern exit is also along , but in , .
The area is serviced by a (), which functions as a transportation hub connecting various modes of transportation. It supports the Metrobús (Line 4), Mexibús (Line III) and trolleybus (Line 2) systems. Additionally, the hub is served by Routes , , , and of the city's public bus system (locally known as ), and by Route 168 of the bus network. is also the nearest metro station to Terminal 2 of the Mexico City International Airport, situated around away.
Over 3,600 transport units operated at the hub as of 2010. By 2016, it was estimated to be the most heavily used in the country. As of 2022, the transportation hub handled an estimated 1,500,000 daily passengers.
History and construction
The architects of Pantitlán metro station were Aurelio Nuño Morales and Isaac Broid. Originally, Line 8, which runs from the historic center of Mexico City to in , was originally planned to operate from to , in , northern Mexico City. However, the project was canceled due to potential structural issues near the area, where it was intended to interchange with Line 2 at Zócalo metro station.
Name and pictogram metro station was named after , whose name means "between flags" in Nahuatl. During the Aztec era, the area (formerly part of Lake Texcoco) was marked with flagpoles to warn canoeists of dangerous currents. The station's pictogram features the silhouette of two flagpoles with blank flags.
Line 1 The line was built by , , and , the latter a subsidiary of . Its first section was inaugurated on 4 September 1969, operating from towards station. It opened to the general public the following day. An eastward extension toward Pantitlán opened on 22 August 1984, operating westward towards metro station and connecting Lines 1 and 5. Before was opened, served as the terminus of Line 1, and the workshops are located between the two stations. This configuration indirectly benefited operations by allowing trains to depart every 90 seconds to either station.
is an underground metro station with an interstation tunnel to measuring . The passenger transfer tunnel connecting Line 1 with Line A is approximately long, making it the third longest in the system, after those at and stations.
In 2016, the station underwent renovation work. The station was closed on 11 July 2022 for modernization of the line's tunnel and technical equipment. After fifteen months of renovations, authorities reopened Pantitlán station on 29 October 2023. Excélsior reported in July 2024 that all the modernized stations had leaks of varying dimensions, despite authorities having stated that they would be sealed during the repairs.
Line 5 built the line, and its first section opened on 19 December 1981, with operations extending toward station. is an at-grade metro station whose segment between it and Hangares station transitions from street level to underground. This section measures . Remains of mammoths, fish, and birds were discovered during its construction.
Line 9
built the line, and its first section opened on 26 August 1987, with service toward station. is an elevated metro station with a long viaduct connecting it to station. Additionally, a train shed is found after the station. During the station's construction, a mammoth tusk and molar were discovered at a depth of .
Line A built the line, which opened on 12 August 1991, operating towards station, in the municipality of the same name in the State of Mexico. It is the line's only underground station as the trains pass beneath the Line 5 tracks. To construct the station, used the Milan method to build a rectangular false tunnel. Floor slabs were added, and the ceiling consists of prefabricated slabs. Pavement was installed above the ceiling as required.
is a light metro station, with the first segment toward station measuring in length. As the line follows Avenue, it transitions to street level.
From its opening until 12 December 2013, passengers transferring from Line A to other lines were required to pay separate fares.
Landmarks
Inside the station are a cultural display, an Internet café, a women's defense module, and a health module. Outside the station, a public ministry office was established in 2002 to reduce criminal offenses in and around the station.
On 1 May 2007, the system unveiled the mural (), painted by José Luis Elías Jáuregui. According to him, the work was inspired by Mexican history and depicts elements that symbolize it, including the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes, an eagle devouring a snake (a reference to the national coat of arms), a pyramid, and a woman holding a white dove. The acrylic-on-canvas artwork, which measures wide, honors metro workers by featuring four train models used by the system. In 2014, the Government of Mexico City built a bicycle parking station adjacent to the CETRAM.
Incidents Sinking issues Sinking reports have existed since at least 1998. The area is affected by the extraction of groundwater in the city, causing the station to sink approximately per year. Subsidence on Line 9 increases as a result of differential vibrations from train movements, as their varying speeds affect different areas of the bridge and its columns.
By 2016, the system reported cracks and subsidence that were expected to take about five years to resolve. Following the collapse of the elevated railway near metro station on Line 12 in May 2021, users reported structural damage at other elevated stations, including Pantitlán metro station. Claudia Sheinbaum, the then head of government of Mexico City, said that these reports would be examined appropriately. According to a Latinus investigation, Sheinbaum's government commissioned in September 2022 to study and identify solutions for the structural problems of the rail bridge, particularly the section between and stations. The firm recommended 539 actions, the most significant of which were:
Demolish and rebuild the elevated track section between and stations. Re-level and refurbish a section of the bridge along Avenue. Carry out maintenance and replacement of the line's overpass equipment. Reinforce buildings and structures at and stations. Replace all electrical materials, 520 ties, 60 rails, and of ballast along the elevated viaduct. Renew the line's centralized control, automatic train operation, signaling, and communications systems.
Journalists from Latinus said that as of August 2023 none of the recommended actions had been performed based on information provided by the city's Secretariat of Public Works.
In February 2023, authorities reinforced Line 9's overpass near Pantitlán station with metallic supports. After strengthening the bridge, the city government assured that the elevated section was safe. This reinforcement was in line with recommendations from the Institute for Building Safety, which in April 2022 advised shoring up Gerber beams with support beams. However, the metro union did not support the decision, arguing that it did not provide an "integral solution" and that, combined with the deterioration of technical equipment on the bridge—such as ballast and sleepers—it posed a risk of derailment.
Because the bridge shoring did not resolve the issues and the sinking persisted, metro authorities announced in September 2023 that three Line 9 stations—, , and —would be closed. The repairs were expected to be completed between December 2023 and May 2024, but the section reopened on 10 September 2024. The project included the replacement of 31 misaligned beams, the installation of new track infrastructure (including rails, ballast, sleepers, and fastenings), and the replacement of three railroad switches.
Other From 1 to 16 March 2020, , and stations on Line 5 were closed due to a gasoline leak at a nearby gas station. The Line 9 station was closed from 27 March to 7 April 2021 due to repairs on the section between and station. Platforms , , , , , , , and at the were closed on 11 October 2021 after structural failures were detected in the station's basement, where out-of-service trains are housed.
On 26 January 2022, a man threatened to jump from one of the station's interline bridges. A police officer rappeled down to rescue him, but the combined weight caused the rope to fail, and both fell approximately . The officer sustained severe head trauma, while the man was unharmed.
Ridership