Aleida, our educational director, was lucky enough to get a private tour of the new subway system being built here in Panama City. This will be the first subway system in Central America and another sign of the booming economy here in Panama.

The 14-kilometer line, half of which will be underground and most of the rest of which will be elevated, will begin at the National Transportation Terminal in Albrook and end in the Los Andes neighborhood on the north side of San Miguelito near the Corredor Norte. There will be 16 stations along the approximate 8 miles of train track. The trains are capable of moving 40,000 people per hour and slated to begin running in 2014. It is estimated that the addition of this subway will allow commuters to get from one end of the city to the other in about a half hour.

The entire project will cost around $1.5 billion dollars and will create thousands of jobs even further boosting the economy. It is estimated that more than 5,000 have already been created due to construction. The construction has had an immediate effect on traffic and worsened congestion in many areas. However, the government is urging residents to be patient and wait for the long term benefits of mass public transportation.

Twice a week Alida travels to the Metro Panama office at Albrook to teach Spanish classes. But Metro Panama isn’t the only place we travel too. We offer in-home and in-office classes all around the city. We have a large staff of professional and experienced teachers all with the capability and availability to travel. Interested in at-home classes or Business Spanish Classes? Call the school at +507 838 5592 for more information or email us at info@cascospanish.com.