Brazil inaugurates new subway line ahead of Rio Olympics
Brasilia, July 31 (IANS) Interim Brazilian President Michel Temer inaugurated a much-anticipated subway line in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the Olympics Games slated to begin on August 5.
Rio’s new metro Line 4, which will be a major legacy of the games, links the city’s tourism district with the western Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood, where many of the Olympic events are slated to take place, Xinhua news agency reported.
Olympic organisers had worried that the new 16-km line might not be ready in time for the opening of the games on Friday, as construction was plagued by constant delays, leading to critical congestion on city streets.
“The Olympic Games represented an excuse to improve all of Rio de Janeiro,” Temer on Saturday said at the inauguration ceremony of the six-stop line, which is expected to serve more than 300,000 passengers a day.
During the Olympics and Paralympics, the line will be reserved for the exclusive use of the “Olympic family”, officials said, meaning for athletes, organisers, and others with special access.