IE-TRAM in Merida: Five things you did not know about this new transportation system

In mid 2022, the government of Yucatán announced a new 100% electric transportation system, the only one of its kind in Latin America: The IE-TRAM. This new means of transportation will link more than 137 neighborhoods along its route.

It is expected to begin operations in December, the same date on which the Gran Parque de La Plancha, where the IE-TRAM stations will be located, is scheduled to be inaugurated.

The first phase of the IE-TRAM will start with three routes:

Kanasín-Centro-La Plancha
Umán-Centro-La Plancha
Centro-La Plancha-Facultad de Ingeniería de la UADY.

Five things you didn’t know about the IE-TRAM

First electric public transportation

With the implementation of the IETRAM, Merida becomes the fourth Mexican city to have electric public transportation, but the first in all of Mexico to have an all-electric BRT system on all of its lines.

Train tracks

The construction of the IE-TRAM tracks is taking advantage of the more than 100 kilometers of railroad tracks that cross the city.

It should be remembered that in the past, Yucatán played an important role in the implementation of railroads that carried cargo and passengers through the state and the city of Mérida.

Manufactured in Europe

The IE-TRAM units are manufactured in Zaragoza, Spain; they are 12 meters long and can carry up to 105 passengers.

The units have 4 sliding doors, wheelchair entrance and spaces for wheelchairs, passenger seats, USB chargers, Wi-Fi, geolocator, Braille buttons and all the information you want to know about the route on the Va y Ven app.

Magnetic asphalt

The IE-TRAM uses magnetic asphalt on its roads, a technology developed in Germany, which is used in several highways around the world to solve pollution problems, as it facilitates the transit of electric cars.

This magnetic asphalt is a cement that has ferrites, a material used in the manufacture of magnets, with magnetic properties that allow the vehicle in contact with it to charge itself.

The transport of the future

As an all-electric vehicle, the IE-TRAM helps to reduce CO2 emissions in cities. This compared to diesel-powered buses.

The replacement of diesel units by an electric one represents a saving of 1,700 tons of CO2. It is estimated that the replacement of a fleet will mean a reduction of 621,000 tons, and the maintenance of these “comfortable and silent” vehicles is simpler than that required by a traditional passenger truck.

TYT Newsroom