Electric Transport Inaugurations

Electric Transport Inaugurations in Latin America
Except as noted, all lines are passenger tramways using overhead wire.
Bat = battery; el = electric; rr = railroad; tb = trolleybus; tw = tramway
Allen Morrison

Year/Month/Day. COUNTRY: City. Line.

1883/10/7. BRAZIL: Niterói. Bat tw.
1887/7/2. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro. Bat tw.

1890/3/12. MEXICO: Nuevo Laredo. El tw from Laredo, Texas, USA.
1892/10/8. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro. El tw #1 (1435 mm): 1st wholly in L.A.
1892/10/22. ARGENTINA: La Plata. El tw test (see 1910).
1893/10/1. COLOMBIA: Panama City. El tw #1 (see 1913 PANAMA).
1895/6/26. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Port of Spain. El tw #1 (see 1902).
1896. MEXICO: Mexico City. Bat tw at Hacienda de la Condesa.
1896/9/1. BRAZIL: Rio de J. El tw #2 (Santa Teresa, 1100 mm, see 1892).
1897/3/14. BRAZIL: Salvador. German tw (see 1905).
1897/4/22. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires.
1899/3/31. JAMAICA: Kingston.
1899/4/9. COSTA RICA: San José.
1899/8/1. BRAZIL: Manaus.

1900/1/15. MEXICO: Mexico City.
1900/3/7. CUBA: Regla - Guanabacoa. Early interurban, 4 km.
1900/5/7. BRAZIL: São Paulo.
1900/9/2. CHILE: Santiago.
1900/10/29. MEXICO: Mexico City - Tlalpan. Early interurban, 17.5 km.
1901/1/1. PUERTO RICO: San Juan - Río Piedras. Early interurban, 12 km.
1901/2/25. GUYANA: Georgetown.
1901/3/3. MEXICO: Lerdo - Gómez Palacio. Interurban, 5 km.
1901/3/22. CUBA: La Habana.
1902/1/11. MEXICO: Ciudad Juárez. El tw from El Paso, Texas, USA.
1902/1/11. CHILE: Santiago. Electric cog railway on Santa Lucía Hill.
1902/4/29. PUERTO RICO: Ponce.
1902/7-8. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Port of Spain. El tw #2 (see 1895).
1902/9/2. BRAZIL: Belo Horizonte.
1903. CHILE: Traiguén.
1904/2/17. PERU: Lima - Barranco. Interurban, 10 km (to Chorrillos, 3/31).
1904/5/5. MEXICO: Aguascalientes.
1904/7/27. PERU: Lima - Callao & Callao local line.
1904/12/25. CHILE: Valparaíso.
1905/12/1. BOLIVIA: La Paz - El Alto. Suburban line, 9 km (see 1909).
1905/12/25. BRAZIL: Salvador. Brazilian tw (see 1897).
1905-6. PERU: Lima. Battery-powered bus line.
1906/1/28. CHILE: Valparaíso - Viña del Mar. Suburban tw, 10 km.
1906/6/1. PERU: Lima. Urban tw system (see 1904).
1906/6/6. BRAZIL: Juiz de Fora.
1906/10/31. BRAZIL: Niterói.
1906/10/31. ARGENTINA: Rosario.
1906/11/10. URUGUAY: Montevideo. English tw (see below).
1906/11/12. CUBA: La Habana - Guanajay. Interurban, 50 km.
1907/1/15. VENEZUELA: Caracas. El Valle tw.
1907/1/16. VENEZUELA: Caracas - Petare. Electrified steam rr, 10 km.
1907/6/2. URUGUAY: Montevideo. German tw (see above).
1907/7/25. MEXICO: Monterrey.
1907/8/15. BRAZIL: Belém.
1907/9/14. MEXICO: Guadalajara.
1907/10/1. PERU: Lima - Barranco - Chorrillos. Second line (see 1904).
1908/1/5. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires - San Martín. Suburban tw, 11 km.
1908/2/8. CUBA: Santiago.
1908/2. MEXICO: Hidalgo del Parral.
1908/3/10. BRAZIL: Porto Alegre.
1908/5/1. CUBA: Camagüey.
1908/7/4. CHILE: Concepción - Talcahuano. Interurban tw, 15 km.
1908/7/5. MEXICO: Veracruz.
1908/9/15. MEXICO: Catorce - Potrero. Mining rr, 16 km.
1908/10/4. MEXICO: Chihuahua.
1909/4/28. BRAZIL: Santos.
1909/7/16. BOLIVIA: La Paz. Urban system (see 1905).
1909/8/22. ARGENTINA: Córdoba.

1910/1/1. ARGENTINA: Tucumán.
1910/1/3. ARGENTINA: La Plata. Commercial tw (see 1892).
1910/1/7. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro. Corcovado cog rr electrified.
1910/1/15. ECUADOR: Guayaquil.
1910/3/2. ARGENTINA: Bahía Blanca.
1910/7/19. COLOMBIA: Bogotá. El tw (see 1918).
1910/9/13. BOLIVIA: Cochabamba - Quillacollo. Interurban, 13 km.
1911/7/21. BRAZIL: Vitória.
1911/10/2. BRAZIL: Natal.
1911/10/21. BRAZIL: Lavras.
1912/4/12. BRAZIL: Vila Velha.
1912/6/24. BRAZIL: Campinas. Urban system (see 1917).
1912/10/1. ARGENTINA: Mendoza.
1912/11/15. BRAZIL: Rio Grande
1912/12/13. BRAZIL: Petrópolis.
1913/1/7. BRAZIL: Curitiba.
1913/1/8. CUBA: La Habana - Ciénaga. Suburban battery tw.
1913/2/18. CUBA: Cienfuegos. Battery tw.
1913/2/20. ARGENTINA: Salta.
1913. ARGENTINA: Corrientes.
1913/4/3. BRAZIL: Raposos - Nova Lima. Mining rr, 8 km.
1913/7/11. PARAGUAY: Asunción.
1913/7-12. PERU: Arequipa.
1913/8/1. PANAMA: Panama City. Tw #2 (see 1893).
1913/9? MEXICO: Pachuca.
1913/10/9. BRAZIL: Fortaleza.
1913/10/16. ARGENTINA: Mendoza. Experimental trolleybus line.
1913/11/15. BRAZIL: Sacramento - Cipó. Rural tw, 14 km.
1913/12/1. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. Metro line 'A'.
1913/12/8. BRAZIL: Aparecida (Guaratinguetá).
1914. ARGENTINA: Necochea.
1914/2/16. MEXICO: San Luis Potosí.
1914/2/19. BRAZIL: João Pessoa.
1914/3/25. ARGENTINA: Santa Fe.
1914/5? MEXICO: Tampico. Urban system (see below).
1914/5/9. VENEZUELA: Macuto - La Guaira - Maiquetía. Interurban, 8 km.
1914/5/13. BRAZIL: Recife.
1914/6/12. BRAZIL: Maceió.
1914/8/30. MEXICO: Tampico - Miramar. Suburban line, 9 km (see above).
1914/10/8. ECUADOR: Quito.
1914/12/27. BRAZIL: São Carlos.
1915. PUERTO RICO: Mayagüez. Battery tw.
1915. VENEZUELA: Maracaibo. Battery tw (see 1917).
1915/5/20. CUBA: Cárdenas. Battery tw.
1915. BOLIVIA: PotosÃ.
1915/7/11? VENEZUELA: Valencia.
1915/8/15. BRAZIL: Piraju - Sarutaiá. Interurban tw, 24 km.
1915/8/29. CHILE: Villa Alegre.
1915/10. CUBA: Rincón - San Antonio de los Baños. Battery tw.
1915/10/20. BRAZIL: Pelotas.
1915/12/30. BRAZIL: Sorocaba (see 1922).
1916/1/9. VENEZUELA: Carúpano.
1916/1/15. BRAZIL: Piracicaba.
1916. CHILE: Talca.
1916/8/24. ARGENTINA: B.A. - Tigre. Suburban rr: 1st use of 3rd rail in L.A.
1916/10/14. BRAZIL: Campos.
1916/12/17. CUBA: Matanzas. Battery tw (see 1919).
1916/12/24. CHILE: Cruz Grande - El Tofo. Mining rr, 24 km.
1916-17. CHILE: Iquique. Battery tw.
1917/3/18. BRAZIL: Campinas - Souzas. Interurban tw, 17 km (see 1912).
1917/5/17. BRAZIL: Campo Grande.
1917/5/18. VENEZUELA: Maracaibo. El tw using overhead wire (see 1915).
1917. CUBA: La Habana. Battery-powered bus service.
1918/3/14. CHILE: Rengo.
1918/4/14. COLOMBIA: Bogotá. Battery tw (see 1910).
1918/7/8. CHILE: Rancagua.
1918. MEXICO: Mérida. Battery tw.
1918. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro. Battery-powered bus line.
1919/3. CHILE: Temuco.
1919. CUBA: Matanzas. El tw using overhead wire (see 1916).

1920. PERU: Huacho. Battery tw.
1920/10/15. EL SALVADOR: San Salvador - Santa Tecla. Battery tw, 13 km.
1921/1. PERU: Pisco. Battery tw.
1921/5/20. ARGENTINA: Paraná.
1921. CHILE: Chillán.
1921/10/12. COLOMBIA: Medellín.
1922/1/1. CUBA: Hershey - Matanzas. First 40 km of interurban line.
1922/2/4. BRAZIL: Sorocaba - Votorantim. Suburban tw, 7 km (see 1915).
1922/7/23. BRAZIL: Campinas - Jundiaí. Electrified steam rr, 44 km.
1922/10/4. BRAZIL: Ilha do Governador (Rio de Janeiro). El tw on island.
1922/12/30. ARGENTINA: Mar del Plata.
1923/5/3. BRAZIL: Santo André. Gasoline/steam tw.
1924/5/27. MEXICO: Puebla - Cholula. Interurban tw, 10 km.
1924/9/15. BRAZIL: São Luís.
1924/10/6. MEXICO: Esperanza - Paso del Macho. Electrified steam rr, 104 km.
1924/10/10. CHILE: Santiago - Valparaíso. Electrified steam rr, 187 km.
1924/12/21. BRAZIL: Campos do Jordão - Pindamonhangaba. Interurban, 47 km.
1924/12/25. BRAZIL: Cachoeiro de Itapemirim.
1925/1/11. BRAZIL: Guarujá - Itapema. Suburban tw, 9 km.
1925. CHILE: Santiago - Puente Alto. Electrified steam rr, 22 km.
1925/11/15. BRAZIL: Além Paraíba.
1926. CUBA: Cienfuegos. Electrification of battery tw (see 1913/2/18).
1926/6/2. BRAZIL: Aracaju.
1926/12/15. URUGUAY: Montevideo - Stgo Vásquez. Elec'd steam rr, 20 km.
1927/2/26. COLOMBIA: Pereira.
1927/10. CHILE: Los Andes - Argentine border. Transandine rr electrified.
1927. CHILE: Tocopilla - El Tigre. Mining rr, 39 km.
1928/4/9. VENEZUELA: La Guaira - Caracas. Interurban, 37 km.
1928/5/1. ARGENTINA: Concordia.
1928. PERU: Lima. Trolleybus line: first commercial tb operation in L.A.
1929/10/12. COLOMBIA: Medellín. Trolleybus system.

1930. MEXICO: Tuxtepec - Papaloapan. Electric rr, 13 km.
1930/3/30. GUATEMALA: San Felipe - Quezaltenango. Interurban, 44 km.
1930/4/8. COSTA RICA: San José - Puntarenas. Electric rr, 116 km.
1930/9/21. BRAZIL: Bom Sucesso
1930/10/17. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. Second metro line ('B').
1934. CHILE: Santiago. Yungay el tw.
1937/7. VENEZUELA: Caracas. Trolleybus system.

1940. CHILE: Santiago. Experimental trolleybus line.
1940. VENEZUELA: Valencia. Trolleybus line.
1941/10/1. TRINIDAD: Port of Spain. Trolleybus system.
1947. CHILE: Santiago. Quinta Normal el tw (1st of 5 park railways).
1947/10/31. CHILE: Santiago. Trolleybus system #1.
1948/4/12. COLOMBIA: Bogotá. Trolleybus system.
1948/6/4. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. Trolleybus system.
1949/4/22. BRAZIL: São Paulo. Tb system - still running today, oldest in L.A.
1949/8/9. CUBA: La Habana. Trolleybus tests.

1951/3/9. MEXICO: Mexico City. Trolleybus system.
1951/3/28. URUGUAY: Montevideo. Trolleybus system.
1952/12/31. CHILE: Valparaíso. Trolleybus system.
1953/5/30. BRAZIL: Belo Horizonte. Trolleybus system.
1953/11/21. BRAZIL: Niterói. Trolleybus system.
1954/12. ARGENTINA: La Plata. Trolleybus system.
1955/7/23. AGENTINA: Tucumán. Trolleybus system.
1956. ARGENTINA: Mar del Plata. Trolleybus system.
1958/1. BRAZIL: Itatinga. Electric tramway (private).
1958/2/14. ARGENTINA: Mendoza. Trolleybus system.
1958/6/29. BRAZIL: Campos. Trolleybus system.
1959/5/24. ARGENTINA: Rosario. Trolleybus system.
1959/11/15. BRAZIL: Salvador. Trolleybus system.
1959/12/27. BRAZIL: Araraquara. Trolleybus system.

1960/6/15. BRAZIL: Recife. Trolleybus system.
1962/9/3. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro. Trolleybus system in Zona Sul.
1963/8/12. BRAZIL: Santos. Trolleybus system.
1963/12/7. BRAZIL: Porto Alegre. Trolleybus system.
1965/4. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro. Trolleybus system in Zona Norte.
1967/1/25. BRAZIL: Fortaleza. Trolleybus system.
1967/10/15. URUGUAY: Montevideo. Heritage tw on Calle Isla de Flores.
1969/9/4. MEXICO: Mexico City. Metro (rubber-tired).

1972/11/5. BRAZIL: Campinas. Portugal Park heritage tw.
1974. MEXICO: Mexico City. Heritage tw with car "0".
1975/9/26. BRAZIL: São Paulo. Metro.
1976/9. CHILE: Santiago. Metro (rubber-tired).
1976/12/15. MEXICO: Guadalajara. Trolleybus system.
1978/10/26. BRAZIL: Tirirical. University tw.
1979/3/19. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro. Metro.

1980/11/15. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. Caballito heritage tw.
1982/7/24. BRAZIL: Ribeirão Preto. Trolleybus system.
1983/1/2. VENEZUELA: Caracas. Metro.
1983/3/15. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro. Estácio - Irajá light rail line.
1984/6/10. BRAZIL: Santos. Embaré Beach heritage tw.
1985/3/2. BRAZIL: Porto Alegre. Metro.
1985/3/6. BRAZIL: Belo Horizonte. Metro.
1985/3/9. BRAZIL: Recife. Metro.
1986/5/9. BRAZIL: Rio Claro. Trolleybus system.
1986/8. MEXICO: Mexico City - Huipulco. 'Tren Ligero' (light rail) line.
1987/4/28. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. E2 tramway.
1988/12/3. BRAZIL: São Paulo. EMTU trolleybus system.
1989/5/7. ARGENTINA: Córdoba. Trolleybus system.
1989/9/1. MEXICO: Guadalajara. 'Tren Eléctrico' (metro) line.

1990/3/13. MEXICO: Mexico City - Tlalpan. El tw reopens.
1991/4/25. MEXICO: Monterrey. Metro.
1991/6/1. BRAZIL: Campinas. Metro.
1991/8/12. MEXICO: Mexico City. Steel-wheel metro line 'A'.
1991/12/24. CHILE: Santiago. Trolleybus system #2.
1994/1/25. ARGENTINA: Rosario. Trolleybus system #2.
1995/4/20. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. 'Tren de la Costa' light rail line.
1995/11/29. COLOMBIA: Medellín. Metro.
1995/12/18. ECUADOR: Quito. Reserved-lane trolleybus line.
1997/8/22. PERU: Lima. Barranco heritage tw.
1997/12/21. ARGENTINA: Mar del Plata. Tourist tramway.
1998/3/6. ARGENTINA: Valle Hermoso. Tourist tramway.
1998/4/5. BRAZIL: São Paulo. Bresser tourist tw (gasoline power).
1998/12. BRAZIL: Macapá. Pier tramway.

2000/9/23. BRAZIL: Santos. Valongo tourist tw.
2001/9/24. BRAZIL: Brasília. Metro.
2003/1/18. PERU: Lima. Suburban railway.
2003/6/1. BOLIVIA: La Paz. Kusillo funicular.
2004/10/24. CHILE: Iquique. Paseo Baquedano tourist tw.
2004/12/19. PUERTO RICO: San Juan. Tren Urbano.
2006/3/29. BRAZL: Salvador. Reopen Pilar funicular.
2006/10/16. VENEZUELA: Caracas-Cúa electric railway.
2006/11/4. VENEZUELA: Caracas-Los Teques "metro".
2006/11/18. VENEZUELA: Valencia. Metro.
2006/11/25. VENEZUELA: Maracaibo. Metro [trials].
2006/11/26. VENEZUELA: Mérida. Trolleybus line [trials].
2007/7/14. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires. Tranvía del Este.

2011/11/30. COLOMBIA: Medellín. Trolleybus line at UPB.
2012/10/8. ARGENTINA: Mendoza light rail.
2012/12/22. ARUBA: Oranjestad. Hydrail tramway.
2016/1/31. BRAZIL: Santos-São Vicente VLT.
2016/6/5. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro. VLT Carioca.
2017/1/22. Mexico: Puebla-Cholula tourist railway (diesel).

See Electric Transport Closures in Latin America
See Electric Transport in Latin America main page