Tram systems in Mendoza
Mendoza is the capital of Mendoza Province in western Argentina. It lies on a high plain to the east of the Andes and forms the centre of the wider Greater Mendoza metropolitan area.
The city is internationally associated with the surrounding wine-producing region and is also an important base for visitors travelling towards the Andes and Aconcagua.
Public transport across Greater Mendoza is organised as the MendoTran network. It includes an extensive system of bus services, including vehicles powered by compressed natural gas and electricity, together with the Metrotranvía light-rail system.
Mendoza previously operated a substantial trolleybus network, but the last remaining trolleybus services were withdrawn in 2021 and replaced by buses.
Gobernador Francisco Gabrielli International Airport, commonly known as El Plumerillo Airport, is located approximately eight kilometres northeast of central Mendoza. Long-distance coaches connect Mendoza with destinations elsewhere in Argentina and neighbouring countries.
The Metrotranvía Mendoza is an approximately 17-kilometre light-rail system operated by the Sociedad de Transporte de Mendoza. It runs between Avellaneda in Las Heras and Gutiérrez in Maipú, passing through central Mendoza and Godoy Cruz.
The route principally follows a former General San Martín Railway corridor. Regular services began between Mendoza and Gutiérrez in 2012, before the line was extended north through Las Heras to Avellaneda in 2019.
The service is designated line 101 when travelling from Avellaneda towards Gutiérrez and line 100 when travelling over the same route in the opposite direction.
Mendoza currently has 1 documented light-rail line, which is listed on the Lines tab.
Mendoza's first tramways began operating in 1885. The horse-drawn network eventually extended for approximately 12 kilometres and used around 20 passenger and freight vehicles. It provided an important early form of public transport as Mendoza expanded beyond its historic centre.
The horse-drawn tramways remained in operation until 1911, when they were superseded by the introduction of electric traction.
In 1909, the provincial government reached an agreement with the Empresa de Luz y Fuerza to provide electricity to Mendoza and develop an electric tramway. Electric services began in 1912, initially operating over four lines.
The network was subsequently expanded and reorganised, eventually reaching approximately 35 kilometres and operating as many as eight lines. In addition to routes within Mendoza, services extended into the surrounding communities of Godoy Cruz, Las Heras and San José in Guaymallén.
The fleet grew to 63 trams. The original vehicles were built by Falkenried in Germany, with further trams supplied during the 1920s by Ragheno and La Franco-Belge in Belgium.
Increasing competition from buses, the introduction of trolleybuses and the ageing condition of the tramway contributed to the gradual contraction of the network during the mid-20th century.
The last remaining electric tram services were withdrawn during the mid-1960s, ending approximately 80 years of tram operation in Mendoza. Removal of the abandoned tracks began later in the decade, and Greater Mendoza was left without an urban rail service for more than 45 years.
Construction of the modern Metrotranvía began in 2009, using a former General San Martín Railway corridor between Gutiérrez, Godoy Cruz and central Mendoza. The infrastructure was rebuilt for light-rail operation, while second-hand Siemens–Duewag U2 vehicles were acquired from San Diego in the United States.
Testing began during 2011, followed by passenger trials in 2012. Regular commercial services between Gutiérrez and Mendoza began on 8 October 2012.
The system was extended approximately five kilometres north from Mendoza into Las Heras in May 2019, adding nine stops and establishing Avellaneda as the new northern terminus. Parque TIC was added as an additional intermediate stop in May 2021. Further vehicles acquired from San Diego have subsequently expanded and modernised the fleet.
- Empresa de Luz y Fuerza – established and operated Mendoza's electric tramway network from its opening in 1912.
- Empresa Provincial de Transportes de Mendoza (EPTM) – introduced and initially operated the modern Metrotranvía when regular commercial services began in 2012.
- Sociedad de Transporte de Mendoza (STM) – replaced EPTM in 2017 and is the current operator of the Metrotranvía. It oversaw the 2019 extension into Las Heras and the subsequent development of the network.
Mendoza currently has 1 tram line, which is listed below. To see more information about a particular line, click on the link in the table below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| 101 | The Metrotranvía line 101 runs from Avellaneda in Las Heras to Gutiérrez in Maipú via central Mendoza and Godoy Cruz. Services travelling over the same route in the opposite direction are designated line 100. |
Construction is underway on two major additions to the Metrotranvía network. A new southern corridor is being built towards Luján de Cuyo, while the existing northern route is being extended through Las Heras to Mendoza's international airport.
The projects are being opened in stages. The dates and operating arrangements below reflect the plans confirmed when this page was last updated and may change as construction and testing progress.
A new Metrotranvía corridor is being constructed south from Pellegrini through Godoy Cruz towards Luján de Cuyo. The route follows an existing railway corridor and is separate from the tracks currently used by services between Avellaneda and Gutiérrez.
The first section is expected to open as far as Estación Benegas in October 2026. It will add stops at Chacabuco, Rivadavia, San Vicente, San Martín Sur, Trapiche and Estación Benegas.
Construction will continue south through Carrodilla and Chacras de Coria to Almirante Brown, beside the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the National University of Cuyo. Completion of this section is currently expected during 2027.
The eventual service number and complete operating pattern have not yet been published. The new infrastructure is therefore treated here as a separate corridor beginning at Pellegrini without assuming whether passengers will be offered through services over any part of the existing network.
A further continuation towards the former Luján de Cuyo railway station near Parque Ferri has been identified as a possible later phase, but no construction programme has been confirmed.
Further information is available from the Government of Mendoza's Metrotranvía project information (in Spanish).
The existing northern end of the Metrotranvía is being extended approximately six kilometres from Avellaneda through Las Heras to Gobernador Francisco Gabrielli International Airport, commonly known as El Plumerillo Airport.
The planned stops beyond Avellaneda are Pueyrredón, Güemes, Estación Espejo, Newbery and Aeropuerto. The airport stop will be positioned close to the passenger terminal.
Current plans provide for both a local service calling at the intermediate stops and a separate airport express operating between Estación Mendoza and the airport. Estación Mendoza is being expanded with an additional platform to support the new services and provide transfers between different parts of the network.
The airport extension is currently expected to open during 2027, although its precise opening date, service numbers and final timetable have not yet been published.
Further information and construction updates are available on the official Metrotranvía page (in Spanish).