Have you heard about the “ghost stations” of the São Paulo Metro? Foreseen back in the 1960s, in the city’s first metro line projects, the works were never completed but ended up being abandoned for various reasons. Learn about some of these stories below.
Pedro II Station
If you’ve ever traveled from Itaquera to Barra Funda on Line 3-Red, you’re sure to be familiar with Pedro II station, right? However, what many people don’t know is that it should be even more useful to São Paulo residents.
The initial idea was that the unit would also cover the southeast-southwest branch, i.e. the current Line 4-Yellow. The state government even built the boarding platform, which was never inaugurated and currently serves as a storage facility. That’s because the Metro’s planners have set another course for the line, removing Pedro II station from the itinerary.
Moema branch
Another project left aside was the construction of the Moema branch line at Paraíso station. The idea was to connect lines 1-Azul and 2-Verde to Moema, with tracks built parallel to Avenida 23 de Maio.
The idea didn’t take off, even though about 200 meters of the branch line had already been built. The platforms and tunnels that would have served the line can still be seen inside the station, as a “ghost memory” of the project.
Viaducts
Even before the metro was founded in 1968, there were plans to build tracks in São Paulo. In the 1950s, then mayor Prestes Maia designed roads that would connect the city center to the city’s out skirts. To this end, it built viaducts over the city to meet the demand, with space for trains inside.
One of them is located on Pedroso Street, in the Liberdade neighborhood. The floor built to house a station that was never built is currently used as a shelter for homeless people.
Also on the list is the Dona Paulina viaduct, which has windows in its structure that indicate the possible use of the structure for a station.
Republic Station
To end the list, a success story: the three ghost platforms at República station. Built during Paulo Maluf’s government, they were abandoned in 1983 and “forgotten” until 2004. After that, they were demolished to start work on the current Line 4-Yellow.
How nice it would be if all the projects that had been put aside were finally used to improve the metro system, wouldn’t it? On the contrary, we can see that sometimes they have become just “ghost stations” with structures left to weather.