(FOLHAPRESS) - The Government of São Paulo plans to begin expansion work on subway line 6-orange next year. With an additional 7 km, six stations are planned, two in the north of São Paulo and another four from the center to the Mooca neighborhood, in the east.

The projection was made this Thursday (2) by governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), during the inauguration ceremony of the first section of the branch, with six stations, between Freguesia do Ó, in the north zone, to Perdizes, in the west zone.

Initially budgeted at R$ 10.3 billion, according to Tarcísio, the expansion still depends on the signing of an addendum to the contract with Linha Uni, a company led by the Spanish contractor Acciona, responsible for the construction and operation of line 6, in a PPP (public-private partnership).

"The idea is that we can do this [sign the addendum to the contract] next year and start the work," he said. When asked when the expansion would be ready, he declined to answer. "Let's think first about completing this work [of the initial approximately 15 km of the line]."

The concessionaire showed interest in building the extension, so much so that it did not dismantle the two tunneling machines that excavated the section between Brasilândia, in the north zone, and the center, said the governor.

The extension will be in two sections: one from the central region to Mooca, with the Aclimação, Cambuci, Vila Monumento and São Carlos/Parque da Mooca stations; and another towards the north, which will have the Morro Grande and Velha Campinas stops, if the work gets off the ground.

The opening to the public of the inaugurated section of line 6, which will also have the Freguesia do Ó, Santa Marina, Água Branca and Sesc Pompeia stations, will be this Friday (3).

Until the end of the year, the extension will operate at reduced hours, from 10am to 3pm. Only one station entrance will be open during assisted operation. Users will not be charged for this testing phase.

In total, the line will have 15 stations and will connect Brasilândia, in the north, to Liberdade, in the central region.

The first phase, with eight stations, was scheduled to open only in October. However, the inauguration of six of them was brought forward so that the governor could participate in the ceremony - electoral legislation prohibits the participation of candidates (he is seeking re-election) in events like this from Saturday (4).

The Brasilândia and Itaberaba-Hospital Vila Penteado stations, both in Brasilândia, should be opened in 2026. The rest of the line, between the PUC-Cardoso de Almeida (west zone) and Liberdade (center) stations, is scheduled for 2027.

The exception is station 14 Bis-Saracura, in Bela Vista, central region, which is not yet scheduled to be ready. Due to archaeological finds, the works at the site were only recently released by Iphan (Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage).

STATION INTEGRATION IS NOT READY YET

Água Branca is integrated with the station of the same name on line 7-rubi, of the metropolitan train.

As the tunnel between the two stops is not ready, passengers arriving by metro will need to leave the station and access the other building from the outside, where they will pay a fare to board the railway network. And vice versa.

This connection will only be ready when the metropolitan train station is redesigned - it will be the largest in São Paulo and will house several lines. According to Tarcísio, works should begin in 2026.

TRAIN TO CAMPINAS CAN BE EARLY

At this Thursday's event, both the governor and the Secretary of Investment Partnerships, Rafael Benini said that the inauguration of the TIC (Intercidades Train), an express train between São Paulo and Campinas, could be brought forward by one year, to 2030 - just like the Santos-Guarujá tunnel.

The TIC is one of the branches that will end at Água Branca station when expanded.

Still without the renovation, in January 2027, trains on line 11-coral will stop at the station to handle the passengers who will arrive from line 6, when the first section is operational at full time.

"It's doing engineering exercises. We spend all the time at the drawing board studying how to use each project. If we can anticipate the schedule, it's logical that we will anticipate it", said the governor, about intercidades.

The year 2030 is electoral. "[Advance inaugurations] Because of the 30 election? No. It's to save time", he declared.

Asked by the report about the possible anticipation of the schedule, Pedro Moro, president of TIC Trens, stated that the biggest challenge of the work is between São Paulo and Jundiaí, where the urban density is greater and there are more expropriations, for example.

The stretch between Jundiaí and Campinas, according to him, will be ready in 2029. Work began recently. The projects for the route between São Paulo and Jundiaí are in the final stages of development.

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