A new metro line linking Rio de Janeiro's city centre, tourist neighbourhoods and beach areas to the main Olympic zone will start operating on 1 August, the state government of Rio de Janeiro has confirmed.

During the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which begin on 5 August, services on Line 4 will run from 6am to 1am on working days and Saturdays and from 7am to 1am on Sundays and public holidays. 

Track has now been laid along the entire length of the new line, which begins in the famous beachside neighbourhood of Ipanema and ends in Barra da Tijuca, home to Barra Olympic Park. During Rio 2016, Barra Olympic Park will be the heart of Games with nine venues hosting 16 Olympic and nine Paralympic sports, alongside the Main Press Centre and the International Broadcast Centre.  

Also in the Barra region, although outside the Olympic Park, are the new Olympic Golf Course and the Riocentro complex.

On Sunday 22 May an underground train made the complete journey on Line 4 from Ipanema to Barra for the first time. Work on the giant construction project is now over 95 per cent complete; electrical, ventilation and signalling systems are currently undergoing trials and new lifts and moving walkways are being tested.

When fully operational, Line 4 will transport up to 300,000 passengers every day. It will remove about 2,000 vehicles per hour from Rio's roads at peak traffic times.

"Line 4 will contribute to making the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games the best in history and will become an important legacy for the city, improving the quality of life of the people who live here," state secretary of transport Rodrigo Vieira said.

Existing metro lines in Rio will also have extended service during the period of the Games. Line 1 will run from 5am to 1.30am on work days and Saturdays and from 6.30am to 1.30am on Sundays and public holidays, while Line 2 will run from 5am to midnight and 7am to midnight.

On the nights of the opening ceremony (5 August) and closing ceremony (21 August), service on all lines will run until 2am.

The state and the city are investing heavily in transport infrastructure ahead of the Games. At the beginning of last week, Rio de Janeiro’s international airport opened a new building that has almost doubled its passenger capacity. Last Saturday (28 May), the road linking Barra to southern Rio was expanded, increasing its traffic capacity by 30 per cent. This Sunday (5 June), a new light rail system will begin operating in the centre of the city. 

Track has been laid along Line 4 (Photo: Metro Linha 4/FVD Studio)