[5] Line 1 of the subway built in Porto Alegre was started in 1980, linking the center of Porto Alegre to cities to the north of the metropolitan area, as Canoas, Esteio, Sapucaia do Sul, São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo.

The route was selected to relieve the heavy traffic of highway BR-116, the only option before the construction of this line, which already had serious problems with transit at the time.

The Line 1 was inaugurated on March 2, 1985 between the Central Public Market and Sapucaia do Sul, covering a route of 27 kilometers (16.8 mi) and 15 stations.

[7] This is the first commercial installation in the world of the Aeromovel design, an atmospheric railway technology first developed in Porto Alegre in the late 1970s.

[8] Line 2 of the metro is proposed to consist of a 19 km (12 mi) route from the city centre to Cachoeirinha, of which around half will be underground.