Curious about the future of S. Paulo’s metro system? Santa Clara Station is currently under construction. It promises to be a vital hub on Line 2-Green. The station is part of an ambitious expansion project. This project aims to connect Vila Prudente and Dutra.
Santa Clara Station’s story began in the mid-2000s. The S. Paulo Metropolitan Company envisioned a station in the Água Rasa district. It was part of the “Rede Distributiva” project. The station would be near Anália Franco Shopping Mall. It would serve the Tatuapé-Berrini line.
However the “Rede Distributiva” project was shelved in 2006. A new plan called “Rede Essencial” emerged. This plan retained the Água Rasa station. It placed it within the Line 2-Green expansion.
Later in the 2000s, Line 2’s expansion plans shifted. The interchange station moved from Tatuapé to Penha. The original Água Rasa station was renamed Anália Franco. Água Rasa became the name for a new proposed station. This is the Santa Clara Station we’re discussing.
In 2012, environmental impact studies detailed the station’s location. A decree followed. It expropriated 16637.34 square meters of land. The station’s construction was divided into eight lots. Mendes Junior company won the bid for Lot 3 in 2014. This lot included Água Rasa station.
The 2014 economic crisis caused delays. The service order was suspended. Only demolition and site cleaning were allowed. Most properties were demolished between 2017 and 2018. Infra7 Engenharia was hired to design the station and bus terminal.
Finally, on January 17, 2020, the service order was reinstated. Construction of Santa Clara Station could properly begin.
You might wonder about the name “Água Rasa”. It’s the popular name for Tatuapé Brook. The brook’s spring is near the station. Because the brook was shallow, it was renamed in the 19th century. The district of Água Rasa was founded on the brook’s east margin in the 1930s. Hence, the station was initially named Água Rasa.
Interestingly, some residents petitioned to rename the station Santa Clara in 2014. Santa Clara is a borough near the station. State Deputy Orlando Morando supported the change. However, the proposal was rejected.
Despite this, in October 2020, the station was officially renamed Santa Clara. The area has been known as Santa Clara since at least the 1940s.
Santa Clara Station is expected to open in mid-2026. It will feature side platforms. A future bus terminal will connect to the station. Santa Clara is designed to be fully accessible.
In December 2024, the “Cora Coralina” tunnel-boring machine reached Santa Clara. The machine had already excavated 2.4 km of tunnel. It even broke a record by digging 33 meters in a single day.
Santa Clara Station is being built on 15000 square meters. It will have three entrances, 20 escalators and nine elevators. It is projected to serve 23380 passengers daily. This modern station will greatly improve mobility. It will help connect people across S. Paulo.