Mexico City’s new Centrobús, an all-electric transit system threading through the historic centre, began operational trials on Thursday, with officials already projecting a sharp ridership increase when the city hosts matches for the 2026 men’s football World Cup. Daniel Arcos, director of the state-owned RTP transit agency, said the network could carry an additional 100,000 passengers during tournament events, an 11 per cent jump over normal demand. The ambitious timeline and capacity targets reflect a broader push by the administration of Mayor Clara Brugada to reshape urban mobility before the global spotlight arrives.

The Centrobús, officially named the “Ruta de las Heroínas Indígenas”, consists of two loops — an interior and an exterior — serving 33 stops and linking with the Metro, Metrobús and trolleybus systems. The government has invested 111 million pesos (roughly £4.6 million) in the project, with all units running on zero-emission electric power. Brugada stressed the feminist dimension of the initiative: every driver is a woman, a deliberate move to make visible the contributions of Indigenous women and to break what she called a “historical barrier” in public transport. “This transport also belongs to all women,” she declared at a press conference.

The rollout arrives as Mexico City’s existing Metrobús network, the country’s second-most-used transit mode after the Metro, moves more than 22 million passengers annually across seven lines. Yet the system has faced persistent challenges: breakdowns, overcrowding, and informal street vending that disrupts operations. The Centrobús administration acknowledged ongoing negotiations with ambulant traders’ groups, but pledged that agreements would not compromise the new routes. Viewed from the capital’s planning circles, the project is both a prestige infrastructure play and a test of whether the city can integrate social equity aims with operational efficiency.

Looking ahead, analysts in London note that the Centrobús will need to prove its reliability well before 2026. The World Cup will strain every link in the city’s transport chain, and a single electric loop through the historic district, however symbolically potent, cannot absorb the surge alone. Brugada’s team has framed the service as a prototype for sustainable, inclusive urban transit — a narrative that resonates with international climate goals but will ultimately be judged on punctuality, capacity, and the political will to keep the route free of obstructions. The coming months of testing, ahead of the planned full launch later this year, will reveal whether the rhetoric can be matched by reality.