Overview
Guadalajara's urban rail network is run by SITEUR (Sistema de Tren Eléctrico Urbano, "Urban Electric Train System"), a system owned and operated by the state of Jalisco. It opened in 1989 and today combines light-rail lines with bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors, serving Guadalajara itself plus Zapopan, Tlaquepaque and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. It is one of the most heavily used light-rail systems in North America, with roughly 168.6 million passengers recorded in 2024.
For a visitor, riding end to end is straightforward. Look for station entrances marked with a "T" sign. Buy a single-ride token from the automatic machines (or use a rechargeable public transport card), pass through the turnstile, and board. Lines 1 and 2 intersect downtown at Juárez, and Line 3 crosses Line 1 at Ávila Camacho and Line 2 at Guadalajara Centro, so you can transfer between rail lines within the paid area at those shared stations. The subway closes at 23:00, so plan your last ride of the day accordingly.
Beyond the trains, green-and-red "Mi Transporte" city buses reach almost every street, the Mi Macro BRT lines run in dedicated lanes and are often much faster than ordinary buses, and trolleybuses ("Mi Trole") link the Centro Histórico with the Zona Rosa/Minerva area. For journey planning, Moovit and Google Maps both cover the city including the subway.
The network
Light rail (Mi Tren / Tren Ligero)
The rail system is branded Mi Tren (also called Tren Ligero, "light rail") and is shown on maps with blocks such as L1, L2 and L3.
- Line 1 (L1) — runs north to south beneath Avenida Federalismo, 16.5 km with 20 stations, from Auditorio (North Beltway) to Periférico Sur (South Beltway). It is underground in the centre and at grade at the edges, with level crossings. It connects with Line 3 at Ávila Camacho, with Line 2 at Juárez, and with Mi Macro Periférico at Periférico Norte and Periférico Sur.
- Line 2 (L2) — runs east to west, 8.7 km with 10 stations, from Juárez downtown to Tetlán in the east; it is almost entirely underground. It connects with Line 1 at Juárez, with Line 3 at Guadalajara Centro (Plaza Universidad), and with Mi Macro Calzada at San Juan de Dios.
- Line 3 (L3) — runs diagonally northwest to southeast, 21.5 km with 18 stations, from Arcos de Zapopan through the city centre to Central de Autobuses, serving Zapopan, Tlaquepaque and Tonalá. It has a 5.35 km underground tunnel flanked by elevated sections. It connects with Line 1 at Ávila Camacho, with Line 2 at Guadalajara Centro, and with Mi Macro Calzada at Independencia.
- Line 4 (L4) — runs south from Guadalajara/Tlaquepaque to Tlajomulco, 21.2 km with 8 stations, from Las Juntas (near Fray Angélico, the southern terminus of Mi Macro Calzada) to Tlajomulco Centro. It was inaugurated in December 2025 and uses new air-conditioned trains.
Bus rapid transit (Mi Macro)
The BRT corridors use articulated double-length buses in dedicated lanes and are branded Mi Macro (formerly Macrobús). They have been folded into the SITEUR line numbering:
- Line 5 (Macro Aeropuerto) — a BRT line opened in June 2026, running southwest to southeast with 8 stations.
- Line 6 (Mi Macro Calzada) — runs diagonally southwest to northeast along Calzada, crossing the Centro Histórico at Bicentenario (which links to the Independencia rail station). It serves the Central de Autobuses and Tlaquepaque Centro, with 27 stations.
- Line 7 (Mi Macro Periférico) — a 42 km arc with 42 stations following three-quarters of the Anillo Periférico ring road, with 48 stations listed in the system.
Buses and trolleybuses
- Mi Transporte city buses — green or red, privately owned but state-regulated, covering almost every city street across roughly 200 routes (many with lettered variants such as 644, 644 A, 644 B).
- Mi Trole (Trolebús) — trolleybuses; westbound along Avenida Vallarta and eastbound along Avenida Hidalgo, useful between the Centro Histórico and the Zona Rosa/Minerva area.
- TUR express buses — turquoise, air-conditioned first-class buses serving places such as Tonalá, Zapopan and Tlaquepaque.
- Pre-Tren — a feeder bus service from Juárez station through the Zona Rosa to the western Anillo Periférico, offered at a discount for card users.
- TuriBus — an open-top double-decker tourist bus leaving from the Rotonda, with hop-on hop-off access to the main sites in Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque and Zapopan for a flat rate.
There are no ferries in this landlocked city network.
Tickets & fares
Fares below are approximate and change; always check the current price at the machine or with the operator.
- Single-ride token (rail) — buy from the automatic machines at station entrances. The machines accept coins, dispense a token plus change, and the token is inserted into a slot at the entry turnstile. A single trip is around M$9.50 by card or M$10 in cash (the machine gives no change).
- Public transport card — costs around M$30 and can be bought from a ticket machine at a subway station entrance. One card works across the Metro, BRT, local buses and the Mi Bici bike-share scheme. Cards are also available at stations such as Antigua Central Camionera and Nueva Central Camionera.
- City buses — around M$9.50; you can pay with the card or in cash (no change given, so fold a bill and push it through the coin slot if needed).
- Mi Macro BRT — around M$9.50, most conveniently paid with a 10-peso coin at the turnstiles (no change).
- TUR express buses — a higher fare than standard buses (reported around M$12).
- Pre-Tren — a 50% discounted fare for subway card users.
There is no transfer system between buses: you pay again each time you board a new bus, so keep your ticket until your journey ends, as auditors sometimes board to check. The network is not divided into fare zones — a single fare covers a trip on the line you board. No dedicated tourist transit pass is documented; the TuriBus flat rate is the main tourist-oriented product.
From the airport
Guadalajara International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de Guadalajara Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, GDL) lies about 18 km south of the city along the Guadalajara–Chapala Highway.
- Bus — a bus from Terminal 1 to the city centre takes just over 30 minutes and costs around M$12 (approximate).
- Taxi — airport taxis are a fixed-price monopoly: pay at the booths outside the arrival halls. A ride downtown takes about 15 minutes and costs roughly M$300 (approximate). You can also take an ordinary taxi to the airport.
- Rail/BRT — a BRT extension to the airport has been under construction, but do not count on a direct train link; check locally before relying on it.
Etiquette & customs
- Queuing — wait your turn at ticket machines and turnstiles; boarding is generally orderly but brisk at busy stations.
- Escalators — stand to the right and leave the left side free for people walking, the usual convention.
- Priority seating — give up seats to older riders, pregnant passengers and people with disabilities; keep noise down in quiet areas.
- Eating and drinking — keep food and drink off the trains and platforms; it is tidier and more considerate.
- Rush hour — trains and buses fill quickly at peak times; move into the carriage, keep bags close, and let passengers off before boarding.
- On buses — hail the bus to stop, as stops are not always clearly marked and drivers do not announce them; press the stop button well in advance. Sit in the aisle seat first if the row is empty, and watch for motorcycles when stepping off. If a bus breaks down, you can board another bus on the same route at no extra charge with your original ticket.
Official links
Survival terms
- Subway/metro — tren ligero / metro (TREHN lee-HEH-roh / MEH-troh)
- Ticket — boleto (boh-LEH-toh)
- Line — línea (LEE-neh-ah)
- Entrance — entrada (ehn-TRAH-dah)
- Exit — salida (sah-LEE-dah)
- Transfer — transbordo (trahns-BOR-doh)
- Single fare — tarifa sencilla (tah-REE-fah sehn-SEE-yah)
- Day pass — pase diario (PAH-seh dee-AH-ree-oh)
Keep a few 10-peso coins in your pocket for the BRT turnstiles and bus fares, and check the SITEUR site or Moovit before you set out, since fares and line details change.