Balderas metro station

Balderas is an underground station on the Mexico City Metro.<ref name="metro">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="archambault">Template:Cite web</ref> It is located in the Cuauhtémoc borough in the center of Mexico City.<ref name="metro"/> It is a transfer station along Lines 1 and 3.<ref name="metro"/><ref name="archambault_line3">Template:Cite web</ref> Since 9 November 2023, the Line 1 station has remained closed for modernization work on the tunnel and the line's technical equipment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Line 1 station was reopened on 13 September 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Name and iconography

The station receives its name from the nearby Balderas street, which in turn was named in honor of Lucas Balderas, a Mexican military officer that participated in the Mexican–American War and was killed at the Battle of Molino del Rey in 1847. It is said that his last words were "poor country of mine".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The station pictogram depicts the colonial-era cannon preserved on the nearby Plaza de La Ciudadela.<ref name="metro"/><ref name="archambault"/> The cannon is a reminder of the Ten Tragic Days, which was a period a little bit longer than 10 days in which a coup the democratically elected government of Francisco I. Madero took place. This chapter would end with the murder of President Madero and Vice-President José María Pino Suárez, as well as the rise to the presidency of Victoriano Huerta.<ref name="metro"/>

General information

Nearby Metro Balderas are some interesting places, like La Ciudadela market, filled with Mexican handicrafts,<ref name="ciudela_times">Template:Cite web</ref> the José Vasconcelos Central Library of Mexico City,<ref name="vasconcelos">Template:Cite web</ref> and facilities of broadcaster Televisa. Next to the library lies a tianguis (street market) full of books old and new, comics, collectibles, etc.

This station has an information desk and facilities for the disabled.<ref name="metro"/> It also displays a plaque unveiled on 19 September 2004, celebrating Mexican rock musician Rockdrigo González, killed exactly 19 years earlier in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake and composer of a song titled "Metro Balderas". In September 2011 a real-size bronze statue of Rockdrigo was also unveiled inside the station.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Although this station is totally underground, cellular phone signals (GSM and TDMA for several providers) are able to reach the platform. The station also has charging stations for mobile devices.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

History

Metro Balderas was opened on 4 September 1969, as part of the first stage of Line 1, going from Chapultepec to Zaragoza.<ref name=MetroCDMX>Template:Cite web</ref>

The station became the network's second transfer station, when the first stretch of Line 3, from Tlatelolco to Hospital General, was opened in November 1970.<ref name=MetroCDMX />

Incidents

On Friday, 18 September 2009 a mass shooting occurred on the platform. A man was tagging one of the station walls with a marker, therefore, he was confronted by a police officer. He reacted by taking out a gun and killing the officer and a construction worker who tried to disarm him, he also left five more wounded.<ref name="avila">Template:Cite news</ref> The man later claimed that he committed the killings "in the name of God" and was sentenced to 151 years in prison.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The man who tried to disarm him was Esteban Cervantes Barrera.

On 29 December 2018, a woman gave birth to a child inside the station, at the Line 1 platforms, helped by personnel of the Mexican Red Cross.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Nearby

• Biblioteca de México, public library.
• Escuela Libre de Derecho, law school.
• Televisa Chapultepec headquarters.
• Parque Tolsá, park.
• Centro Escolar Revolución, elementary school.

Exits

Line 1

• North: Tolsá street and Balderas, Centro
• South: Avenida Niños Héroes and Avenida Chapultepec, Colonia Doctores

Line 3

• East: Avenida Arcos de Belén, Colonia Doctores
• Southeast: Avenida Niños Héroes and Dr. Río de la Loza street, Colonia Doctores

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/Entrance
B1	Mezzanine for platform connection	Fare control/Ticket windows
	Template:Small
	Westbound	← Template:Rint Template:Rint toward Observatorio Template:Small
	Eastbound	Template:0 Template:Rint Template:Rint toward Pantitlán Template:Small →
	Template:Small
B2	Template:Small
	Northbound	← Template:Rint Template:Rint toward Indios Verdes Template:Small
	Southbound	Template:0 Template:Rint Template:Rint toward Universidad Template:Small →
	Template:Small

Ridership

Annual passenger ridership (Line 1)
Year	Ridership	Average daily	Rank	% change	Ref.
2023	9,030,215	24,740	30/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passnrank22-23/>
2022	7,139,186	19,559	46/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passnrank22-23/>
2021	3,532,268	9,677	87/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passnrank21/>
2020	4,132,493	11,290	87/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passnrank20/>
2019	7,825,656	21,440	81/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passnrank19/>
2018	7,509,318	20,573	86/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passrank18/>
2017	7,797,786	21,363	78/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passrank17/>
2016	8,198,425	22,400	78/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passrank16/>
2015	8,340,249	22,849	72/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passrank15/>
2014	8,113,226	22,228	74/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passrank14/>

Annual passenger ridership (Line 3)
Year	Ridership	Average daily	Rank	% change	Ref.
2023	7,037,585	19,281	57/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passnrank22-23>Template:Cite web</ref>
2022	6,050,356	16,576	63/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passnrank22-23/>
2021	1,290,882	3,526	162/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passnrank21>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020	1,539,347	4,205	164/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passnrank20>Template:Cite web</ref>
2019	2,840,045	7,780	170/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passnrank19>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018	2,839,394	7,779	169/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passrank18>Template:Cite web</ref>
2017	2,852,962	7,816	167/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passrank17>Template:Cite web</ref>
2016	2,937,959	8,027	167/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passrank16>Template:Cite web</ref>
2015	2,832,055	7,759	156/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passrank15>Template:Cite web</ref>
2014	3,174,677	8,697	148/195	Template:Change	<ref name=passrank14>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gallery

• 
  Entrance to the station in the corner of Avenida Chapultepec and Av. Niños Héroes
• 
  Entrance sign to the station
• 
  Line 3 platforms
• 
  Commemorative plaque to Rockdrigo González
• 
  Statue honoring Rockdrigo

External links

• Template:Commons category-inline
• Template:Cite web