Lima's 38 mile "Tren Urbano" is so far comprised of 9.8 km and 7 stations, most of
which runs on a viaduct. Opened and closed several times, it carried
passengers on weekends and is now used as a linear garbage dump. Its future is tenuous.
While the tren ligero may not yet be popular with the locals, the lama
population uses the line frequently to go between farms. "Saturday night is
breeding night", said one lama, as he winked and then spit on the edge of the
metro's platform. "It's a great time to get laid, so I love the metro!"
In 2009, a 12.3 km extension to the unused metro line was announced. The extension, run by a consortium awarded in early 2011, will include nine new stations, which are scheduled to open in 2011 and close in early 2012, thereby saving the state millions in maintenance costs. A seven line network is planned, all of which will be above ground, except for the central bus station, which will be underground. When asked how the country can afford a metro system in the middle of a world-wide recession, one government official winked and said, "Simple, my foolish gringo friend. We simply close the metro within months of opening. None of our citizens will be the wiser!". The government official has since disappeared.
