BH Metro Trip Time

Belo Horizonte Metro Travel Time Estimator

The Belo Horizonte Metro runs under CBTU BH, the regional arm of the federal Companhia Brasileira de Trens Urbanos. For now it's a single line, Line 1 (Orange), covering 28 km from Eldorado (Contagem) to Vilarinho (Venda Nova) and stopping at 19 stations. The estimate here follows total = stations × avg_dwell + segments × avg_run and leans on CBTU BH's usual numbers: 35 s at each stop and 1.5–2 min between stations, which works out to a nominal ~42 min end to end.

On a typical day it carries around 200,000 passengers/day, all paying the same flat fare of R$ 5.50. More of the network is on the way. Line 2 (Calafate–Barreiro) sits in the planning stage with R$ 2.8 bn set aside under the New PAC, while Line 3 (Pampulha) is still stuck in preliminary studies, waiting on state co-financing.

Applications

It comes in handy if you commute between Contagem’s industrial belt and the BH city centre, if you switch to the MOVE BRT at the Vilarinho and Lagoinha terminals, or if you're trying to gauge how Line 2 might shift Line 1 ridership before the expansion lands.

FAQ

When will Line 2 open? There's no firm date yet. The Calafate–Barreiro extension cleared environmental licensing in 2024, and construction is penciled in for 2026–2030 assuming the New PAC money comes through.

Is there integration with MOVE BRT? Yes. The Vilarinho, Lagoinha and Eldorado stations tie into the MOVE corridors through the BHBus integrated card, and the transfer is free as long as you make it within 90 min.

Why is BH Metro often called “rail” rather than “subway”? Almost the whole line sits at ground level or runs elevated, with just one short tunnel stretch near Calçada. That layout goes back to its roots: it started life in 1986 as a converted suburban rail corridor.