The Council of the Community of Madrid has authorised the Madrid Metro train procurement project worth more than EUR 1 billion which will modernise the fleet and will increase the quality of transport service, increasing the attractiveness of city’s public transport.
The Community of Madrid will acquire 80 new metro trains which will enter passenger services on the lines 1, 6, 8 and 11 contributing to reinforcing the quality of the trips and the company’s energy efficiency.
It is expected to acquire two metro model trains designed to run on narrow gauge and wide gauge lines. 40 narrow gauge trains will be acquired to operate on Line 1 and the other 40 trains will operate the wide gauge lines 6, 8 and 11. “The planned extensions of the metro network (lines 3, 5 and 11) and the construction of Madrid Nuevo Norte line justify the acquisition of the new metro trains,” Metro Madrid says. All the new trains will consist of six cars with connecting corridors between them, of which four will be motor cars and the other two will be driving trailers (with a driving cabin at each end).
The new metro trains will provide additional capacity delivering passengers high performance and increased comfort. In addition, the new trains will be more energy efficient to minimise the consumption. According to the latest data, Madrid Metro has reduced its energy consumption by 30% in stations and trains contributed to a 15% reduction in the last decade.
To fund the Madrid Metro train procurement, the Community of Madrid has approved an increased long-term debt of the company to up to EUR 1.37 billion following the favourable report from the General Directorate of Financial Policy and Treasury of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Employment and the Budget and Finance Commission of the Madrid Assembly.
To modernise the existing metro fleet, the Community of Madrid has also approved a EUR 5.3 million investment for inspection and repair work on the ventilation, cooling and heating devices of 394 cars representing 17% of the Madrid suburban train fleet. The tasks will be carried out in the metro company’s workshops, warehouses or maintenance depots through which the convoys circulate.
The existing Line 11 (between Plaza Elíptica and La Fortuna stations) will be extended and will become the Diagonal Line of Madrid, crossing the city from southwest to northeast, linking Cuatro Vientos with the new developments of Valdebebas. With a total length of 33.5 km, the line will connect seven of Madrid’s transport interchanges and strategic points such as the Atocha rail station or the airport. According to the project, the 7.2 km North extension with four stations will be built between Valdebebas Norte and Mar del Cristal. The Central extension connecting Mar del Cristan and Conde de Casal will be 8 km long with five stations. The South extension will extend from its current end station in La Fortuna to Cuatro Vientos and from Conde de Casal to Plaza Elíptica stations. In total, this section will have a length of 18.3 km including two new stations (Comillas and Madrid Río) and will also provide connection with the Atocha railway station and with A-3 corridor through the Conde de Casal station.
In November 2022, the Community of Madrid and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a EUR 372 million grant agreement for the expansion of Line 11.
The other planned extensions cover Metro Line 3, which will connect Villaverde with Metrosur through the El Casar station. Once the 2.6 km extension will enter passenger operation, it will allow access to the 57,000 residents of the capital district and to 1.1 million in the south of the region of the city, who will be able to reach Puerta del Sol injust 35 minutes. When the entire route has been completed, El Casar will become the second MetroSur station that has a connection with the capital along with Puerta del Sur, in Alcorcón and will be an intermodal area that will link L3 and L12 of the suburban, in addition tothe Cercanías (suburban) rail system.
The Line 5 will be extended from Alameda de Osuna to the new airport terminal. Lien 5 extension also includes the construction of the new Conde de Casal, Valdebebas and Legazpi interchanges, which will complete the network of large Madrid interchanges.
In May 2022, Comunidad de Madrid announced the beginning of design work for the automated Madrid Nuevo Norte expected to become operational in 2029. The 3 km line will begin from the existing Chamartín train station crossing Business Center, Fuencarral Sur and Fuencarral Norte. The Madrid Nuevo Norte is a urban intervention project on a 20 ha area to that will transform a 5.6 km site currently occupied by rail tracks north from Charmartín station into a central business district with 10,500 new households and 400,000m² of green areas.
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