Huipulco Light Rail

Photo: Francis 180854,  Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

The Huipulco station on the Xochimilco Light Rail is just beneath the old Glorieta de la Luna. Today the rather tangled intersection is just that of Renato Leduc and the Calzada de Tlalpan. And it’s technically the first light stop off of the famous causeway.

The old Glorieta though is still remembered in the moon symbol used for the station logo of Tasqueña. La Luna was the name of a beloved old bakery, and later department store, that dominated the traffic circle. Today, it’s only partly recalled in the nearby Huipulco Lunch Market.

The station name comes from the nearby town of San Lorenzo Huipulco. It’s one of 11 original settlements in Tlalpan. Traditionally, the town stood as the first of the original settlements in the south of the City. That includes those in Xochimilco, Tláhuac, and Milpa Alta. Many of them are much older than the city itself. The Nahuatl name of the town, Huitzpolco, usually translates as “place where they destroy the ears of self-sacrifice.” The town center lies just east of the station.

The Huipulco station is sometimes used as an alternative to the Azteca Stadium stop. This is especially true for those who celebrate a pre-game in the Lunch Market which can be intensely festive. For most international passengers, it’s usually but an important half-way point on the trip to the center of Xochimilco.