She didn’t expect the new subway’s 4th line to change her life, but it did. Less time on the road means more time with her family. 

Ángeles, a single mom of three, cleans houses for a living, working three to four days a week. She lives in Juarez, Nuevo León, and every trip into the city means taking three crowded buses. 

Her days used to start at 5 a.m. in the dark and cold, hoping the rain wouldn’t come. She’d leave before the sun was up and return long after it had gone down. By the time she got home, it was usually past 8 p.m. “I barely had time to see my kids awake,” she says.

The long commute didn’t just drain her physically,  it left her feeling like life was passing by. “I felt like I was always running, always behind. I wasn’t living the way I wanted.” 

Time to be present 

When the 4th line of the subway opened, everything changed. The new 7.5-kilometer route brought a big difference to Ángeles’ day, saving her up to 40 minutes on every trip. No more waiting on crowded buses or stressing over missed connections. Her 90-minute commute dropped to just 35, and that extra time changed everything.

“I can get more done in a day, but without feeling so tired,” Ángeles says. “Now I can be there for my kids, and still have a little time left for myself.”

Now, she gets home early enough to help her kids with homework. She started attending evening classes to finish school, something she’d put off for years. Even small things, like sharing dinner together or walking her youngest to school, became part of her day again. 

It wasn’t just about getting somewhere faster;  it was about finally having time to be present. 

For Ángeles, the subway didn’t just change her route. It gave her back time, her energy, and a sense of possibility. Sometimes, real change starts with something as simple as a subway line built from someone’s idea.