Line 4 of the CDMX subway, the light green one, has the lowest number of users, so we decided to tell you a little about the symbols of each station and its history.
This line runs through the city from Martín Carrera to Santa Anita, however, it was intended to reach Santa Ana in the Coyoacán district. This line was built at the end of the 70's, in two stages: the first section from Martín Carrera to Candelaria was inaugurated in August 1981 and in May of the following year the section to Santa Anita was completed. But the most important thing is that it was the first elevated line, so a trip on this line means a privileged view of the city.
Route 4 is made up of 10 stations and is the shortest route in the network with just under 11km, of which 9,363m are for service and the rest is for maneuvers. The ten stations are:
Martin Carrera
The name of this station is in reference to Martín Carrera, Major General who occupied the presidency of the country for 29 days after President Santa Anna fled from CDMX. According to the chronicler of Gustavo A. Madero, Horacio Sentíes Rodríguez, the urbanization of this area of the city began in 1895 when Manuel Carrera, son of Martín Carrera, subdivided the area for sale.
Talisman
The symbol of this station is a mammoth because on October 8, 1978, during the construction works of line 4, the remains of the extinct mammal were discovered -although at that time it was not known exactly whether it was a mastodon or a mammoth.
And although this discovery was of utmost importance, work on the subway never stopped. Today, the mammoth remains are located at the entrance of the subway, right where they were found.
Bondojito
This is one of the most beautiful and enigmatic names of all the subway stations, because very few people know that the name comes from the Otomi language: bonda or bondo is the name given to the bald cactus, which has crimson fruits. This same type of nopal is the one the Aztecs knew as tenochtli, the one on which the eagle landed to devour the snake. Thus, bondojito, diminutive of bondo, is nopalito since previously in this colony there was an abundance of small nopal cactus.
Consulate
As you know, the CDMX was a city of rivers, and in what today are in the neighborhoods of 20 de Noviembre and Mártires del Río Blanco in the Gustavo A. Madero delegation, a canal used to run that collected the waters of the San Joaquín and Los Morelos rivers, although now this canal is piped, so the icon of this station represents the section of a pipeline of the piped Consulado River.
North Channel
Like the previous station, the symbol of this station refers to a section of the canal that communicated the center of the city with the Villa since colonial times. Before the construction of this canal, the Villa could only be reached on foot: along what is now Guadalupe Causeway or along what is now Misterios.
Morelos
Perhaps one of the best known profiles for Mexicans is that of José María Morelos y Pavón with his emblematic bandana, so it is no problem to recognize the symbol of this station that alludes to the Morelos neighborhood. Although this famous neighborhood of the city emerged as such in 1882, since pre-Hispanic times it was already an important area and it was here that the last Aztec emperor was taken prisoner.
Candelaria
This icon was thought since the construction of line 1 in the 60's and refers to the ducks that inhabited this swampy area of the CDMX. On the other hand, its name comes from the times of the viceroyalty, when a temple dedicated to the "Purification of the Virgin Mary" was built, commonly known as Candelaria; so that among the capital it became known as Candelaria de los patos (Candelaria of the ducks).
Fray Servando
Unlike Morelos, the profile of Fray Servando Teresa de Mier is not so recognizable, but his name is known since one of the most important roads in the city is named after him. This name was coined after the government of Lázaro Cárdenas decided to transform this area of the city. Fray Servando is one of the most fascinating characters in the history of Mexico, even the Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas wrote a novel inspired by his life.
Jamaica
The Jamaica Market is one of the largest and most popular markets in the CDMX, and although it is famous for its flowers, the icon of its season is a corn because this area was known for its corn cultivation. On the other hand, the name comes from a bullfighting festival, since there used to be a bullring in the vicinity of what is now the market.
Santa Anita
This station is represented by a vendor in his canoe and is located a few meters from the Viaducto and La Viga, so it is not surprising that it refers to the past of this area of the city. It was along this road that flowers and vegetables were grown, transported and traded, and it was an obligatory route to take all kinds of products to the center of the city.
