Observatory (Mexico City Metro station)

Observatorio is one of the stations that are part of the Mexico City Metro, it is the western terminal of Line 1 and will be the future correspondence of Line 12, being the future terminal of this last. It is located to the west of Mexico City in the Álvaro Obregón mayor's office.

General information

Its name comes from the fact that the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) placed an astronomical observatory on top of a hill near the Metro station, in a colonial palace that previously belonged to the Archbishopric of Mexico. Its logo represents a stylized dome of an astronomical observatory.

For more than 30 years, Observatory has been projected to become a correspondence center. The Original project for Metro Line 9 contemplated being an express type line in order to relieve Metro Line 1, which since its inauguration in 1969, had a significant influx.

After the inauguration of Line 9, the list of stations, pictograms and destinations began to be displayed, indicating that Observatorio was one of the terminals of Line 9 and that in turn towards connection for the third time with Line 1 of the Metro. However, for unknown reasons, the Observatorio station of Line 9 was never built, only reaching Tacubaya with the hope that in the future the remaining section of Line 9 to this station will be contemplated, which would correspond in the future with Line 1 and Line 12 of the Metro.

Observatory is the only station on the entire line that is not underground, it is located in a trench right at the mouth of the tunnel that leads to the rest of the line.

Future

It is part of an expansion of said line that will connect the Mixcoac and Observatorio stations. The station will be located in the Acueducto neighborhood of the Álvaro Obregón mayor's office.

In December 2012, the expansion of Line 12 was announced to connect it with Line 1 and Line 9 at Observatorio station. As part of the project, two new way stations and the Observatorio terminal would be built, where it will connect (after more than 30 years of waiting) with Line 1 of the Metro. Its construction began in March 2016.

Affluence

In 2021, Observatorio became the 8th most used station on the network, registering an influx of 33,366 passengers who used this station daily.

This is how the influx of the station has looked in the last 10 years:

Annual Influence of Passengers
Year	Influence	A Diary	Annual Ranking	Increase per cent	Ref.
2022	13,057,993	35.775	14th/175	+7.22%
2021	12,178,741	33,366	8th/195	- 8.73%
2020	13,343,431	36,457	9th/195	- 49.43%
2019	26,388,110	72.296	9th/195	-2.16%
2018	26.970.170	73.890	9th/195	+0.77%
2017	26,764,337	73,326	8th/195	-3.49%
2016	27,732,577	75.772	8th/195	+0.08%
2015	27,711,208	75.921	8th/195	+2.50%
2014	27,036,330	74,072	8th/195	-0.26%
2013	27,105,718	74,262	8th/195	+8.70%
2012	24,936,832	68.113	7/195	+4.20%

Connectivity

Station sign at one of his exits.

Outputs

• North: Calzada Arena Mines, Acueducto Colony.
• South: Avenida Río Tacubaya, Real del Monte Colony.

Connections

There are connections with the stations and stops of various transport systems:

• The station has a CETRAM.
• Next to the station is the Central Bus Terminal of the West.
• In the future it will be connected to the Interurban Train of Toluca-Valle Passengers of Mexico
• In the future it will be connected to Mexico City Metro Line 12
• In the future it will be connected to Mexico City Metro Line 9

Places of interest

• Central Bus Terminal of the West
• Centre for Scientific and Technological Studies No.4
• National Preparatory School Plantel 4
• Mexican National Meteorological Service
• ABC Medical Centre