What Happened
Metro de Panamá will continue integral maintenance services for Line 2 with Alstom Panamá, S.A. under an exceptional contracting process that runs through June 30, 2026. The agreement covers services retroactive to January 1, 2026 and includes two additional months for contract settlement.
The contract was approved for up to $4,329,872.89 and formalizes the legal framework allowing Alstom Panamá to keep providing technical support for one of the capital’s most important rail corridors.
What the Contract Covers
The scope includes preventive, corrective, predictive and aesthetic maintenance for the train fleet, as well as work on railway signaling systems and the traction and auxiliary substations of Line 2. Those systems are essential to the operation of the metro line, which connects key parts of Panama City and supports daily commuter traffic.
According to Resolution No. 19, published in Official Gazette 30504-C on April 15, the extension was necessary after the previous contract expired on December 31, 2025.
Why the Extension Was Needed
Metro de Panamá had been preparing the terms for a new public tender, but publication depended on approval of the multi-year budget allocation. That allocation was sent by the Ministry of Economy and Finance in late November, which left too little time to complete the selection process within the deadlines established by public procurement law.
The exceptional procedure gives the metro system continuity while the next procurement process advances. In practice, it avoids a gap in specialized maintenance for the trains and infrastructure that keep Line 2 in service.
Alstom’s Role in Line 2
Alstom supplied the 21 Metropolis trains, the signaling system and the electric substations for Line 2. The company has also handled maintenance since the line entered service. Its previous contract, signed in November 2022, covered a three-year term.
Line 2 is a major part of Panama City’s urban transport network, and the continued maintenance contract helps safeguard daily operations across the system. Reliable upkeep of rolling stock, signaling and electrical infrastructure is critical for service continuity and passenger safety.