São Paulo residents have a complicated relationship with the subway: although we love the convenience of this mode of transportation, user complaints about overcrowding and delays are constant. But when a report on the number of failures that occurred on each line comes to light, the numbers speak for themselves.
A survey by TV Globo reveals which subway lines experienced the most problems during the first half of 2026. The data includes only technical or mechanical failures, such as derailments and problems with tracks or machinery. Accidents are not included in the count.
The worst lines on the São Paulo subway 👎
If your daily commute involves Line 3 (Red), you probably don’t need a survey to know that things could be better.
Among all the lines, the section connecting the Palmeiras-Barra Funda andCorinthians-Itaquera stationshad the highest number of failures in the first half of 2026. There were 28 incidents —seven more than the runner-up, Line 7-Rubi.
It’s no wonder that Line 3 is considered the “worst line on the São Paulo Metro” by many residents of São Paulo. On social media, it’s common to find complaints (and even memes) about overcrowding, frequent breakdowns, and long lines, all of which detract from the user experience.
Check out the five lines with the highest number of incidents in the first half of 2026 below:
- 3-Red: 28
- 7-Rubi: 21
- 8-Diamante: 20
- 5-Lilás: 17
- 2-Green: 16
Compared to its own performance, however, the Red Line has made progress. During the same period last year, the line experienced 41 technical incidents—a figure about 46% higher than the current one. Check out the full breakdown of incidents on the G1 website.
Overall user satisfaction dropped after an accident on Line 12-Safira 🚇
On July 23, a short circuit caused an explosion on one of the trains on Line 12-Safira. The accident brought three train lines to a standstill and caused panic among passengers on board, who had to evacuate the car amid the fire.
As we mentioned earlier, TV Globo’s survey does not take such incidents into account. However, a Quaest survey released on Wednesday (29) shows that user satisfaction with public transportation dropped after the accident.
In April 2026, 23% of those surveyed by the agency said they viewed public transportation negatively, while 40% viewed it positively. In the July survey, however, 30% of users had a negative opinion, and 35% had a positive opinion of the system.
The survey interviewed 1,650 citizens aged 16 and older between July 23 and 27. You can view the full survey at this link.
