Rio 2016 transport: Olympic Stadium train station renovated ahead of Games
Newly paved platforms, a mezzanine area with five elevators, access ramps and refurbished bathrooms are just some of the renovations
Thousands of spectators will use Engenho de Dentro station to get to the athletics and football events of Rio 2016 (Photo: SuperVia/press release)
The new-look Engenho de Dentro train station opposite Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Stadium was opened on Wednesday (13 July) by the city’s train operator SuperVia. Commonly known as the Engenhão, the Olympic Stadium will host the athletics and football competitions at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The list of renovations to the train station is a long one. The main alterations include the construction of a new mezzanine area with five elevators, new access ramps outside the station, refurbished bathrooms and new paving on the platforms.
“The renovation has doubled the capacity of the station which can now accommodate 26,000 passengers a day,” SuperVia chairman José Carlos Prober said.
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Transport facelift
A view of the newly renovated Engenho de Dentro station (Photo: SuperVia)
It is expected that half of Olympic Games spectators who choose to travel to the stadium by train will get off at Engenho de Dentro.
The station’s facelift is part of a larger project that is redeveloping six train stations around Olympic venues. Four stations (Ricardo de Albuquerque, Magalhães Bastos and Vila Militar) have already been renovated. Before the start of the Games, new look São Cristóvão and Maracanã stations will also be unveiled.
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The operation of Rio’s new light railway system, the VLT, has also been expanded. The city-centre service now runs between the intercity bus station Novo Rio and Santos Dumont airport. Passengers can currently travel for free on the trams, which from Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm. During the Olympic Games, service will run from 6am to midnight.
