Line 6 (São Paulo Metro)

Future map of Sao Paulo Metropolitan Rail Transport Network, with Line 6 - Orange and all other lines currently under construction or expansion.

This new line will connect with Line 7 (Ruby) and Line 8 (Diamond) of Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) and lines Line 1 (Blue), Line 2 (Green) and Line 4 (Yellow) of the metro, linking the Northwest, West, Central, and Southeast regions of São Paulo.,[7] totaling 18.4 km (11.4 mi) in length with 17 stations.[8] The anticipated demand for this line is 600,000 to 800,000 passengers per day.[9][10] In 2008 it was predicted that construction would start by 2010, expected to start partial operations in 2012 and full operation by early 2015,[8] but two years later it was expected that the project plans would be finalized only in 2011, with the first stations opening between 2013 and 2014 or as late as 2016, according to some engineers of the Metro.[5]

On March 25, 2008, the State Governor and the mayor of São Paulo pledged to deliver the new metro line by 2012.[11] The municipal government gave the State R$75 million to fund the preliminary designs for the construction of this line.[12][13] In principle, the operation of the line will be the responsibility of the Metro, but there is still the possibility of creating a Public-Private Partnership,[14] which was eventually confirmed.[1]

Currently, the extension of the line between Brasilândia and São Joaquim is confirmed, providing linkage to Line 1-Blue. In a future project, the plan is to extend it to Cidade Líder and Bandeirantes.

At the other end of the line, Governor José Serra announced on December 4, 2008 that there would be two branches leaving Freguesia do Ó toward the periphery of the North Zone, one in Brasilândia beside a bus terminal that is under study by the city, and another in Vila Nova Cachoeirinha in Largo Japonês, next to an existing bus terminal.[8] It will be the first time that the São Paulo Metro will use a "Y " path, something that already exists in the USA, Europe, Australia[8] and also in other metro systems in Brazil, such as the Brasília Metro. The planning director for Metro, Mark Kassab, explained that there will be a need to change trains at Freguesia do Ó station, because trains will alternate with different destinations across the line.[8]

The functional design of the line was released in June 2010 and referred to the expropriation of 350 commercial and residential properties along the line, including the headquarters of samba school Vai-Vai in Bela Vista and a unit of supermarkets in Consolação.[5] Issues with financing and property expropriations continued to persist, delaying the start of construction. Construction officially started on April 13, 2015 with a projected completion date of the first section in 2021.[15] In 2016, progress on the project was halted due to difficulty obtaining financing from the Brazilian Development Bank, putting the project's 2021 completion deadline into jeopardy.[16]

In January 2018, it was announced that RuasInvest Participações SA will acquire a 15% stake, along with China Railway Construction Corporation Limited which will have a 50% stake in the concession and the rest is acquired by a group of Japanese investors led by Mitsui which will receive 35%. The opening deadline for the project confirmed for the end of 2021.[17]

An extension from São Joaquim to Cidade Líder was in planning, but it was replaced by the planning of Line 16-Violet.