Platforms 4 Opened 4 September 1969 | Tracks 4 | |
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Location Avenida Niños Héroes and Avenida Chapultepec, Doctores. | ||
Metro Balderas is an underground station on the Mexico City Metro. It is located in the Cuauhtémoc borough in the center of Mexico City. It is a transfer station along Lines 1 and 3. The station logo depicts the colonial-era cannon preserved on the nearby Plaza de La Ciudadela.
The cannon is a reminder of the days of the Decena Trágica (Tragical Ten), which was a period a little bit longer than 10 days in which a group rebelled against the government of Francisco I. Madero. This chapter would end when president Madero and vice-president Pino Suárez are killed, as well as the rise to the presidency of Victoriano Huerta.
Nearby Metro Balderas are some interesting places, like La Ciudadela market, filled with Mexican handicrafts, the José Vasconcelos Central Library of Mexico City, and facilities of broadcaster Televisa. Next to the library lies a tianguis (street market) full of books old and new, comics, collectibles, etc.
This station has an information desk and facilities for the disabled. It also displays a plaque unveiled on 19 September 2004, celebrating Mexican rock musician Rodrigo "Rockdrigo" González, killed exactly 19 years earlier in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake and composer of a song titled "Metro Balderas".
Although this station is totally underground, cellular phone signals (GSM and TDMA for several providers) are able to reach the platform.
2009 shooting
On Friday, 18 September 2009 a shooting occurred on the platform. A man was painting the walls on the station and was then confronted by an officer. He reacted by taking out a gun and killing him and a construction worker, leaving also five wounded.