The Circular Line takes another step toward automated operation. The Community of Madrid has completed the first phase of nighttime testing on Line 6 between Cuatro Caminos and Lucero, where technicians have verified that the automated trains operate in coordination with the platform doors and the signaling system.
The second phase is already underway between Arganzuela-Planetario and Ciudad Universitaria. It will later be extended to the rest of the line. The tests verify that the trains adhere to traffic rules and stop precisely at each station. The test runs begin at low speed, and once the initial checks are validated, technicians gradually increase the speed to evaluate how the trains respond.
The tests are conducted both empty and with a load. To simulate an occupancy of four passengers per square meter, two cars carry a ballast of several metric tons of concrete.
Schedule: March for automated operation, April for 24-hour service
Metro is now using five of the 48 trains purchased to automate the line. Automated operation is scheduled to begin in March. Starting in April, the Circular Line will operate 24 hours a day on weekends.
The system will stop each train at the exact point so that the train doors and platform doors open simultaneously, making the station more accessible. The installation of these barriers on the 70 platforms along Line 6 will be completed by the end of the year. With the final configuration, the floor of the train cars will be practically level with the platform, and the horizontal gap will be less than 30 millimeters. On curves, a gap filler will maintain that distance. People in wheelchairs will be able to board directly, without ramps.
Work on the line has included track renewal, upgrades to the power supply, and a new signaling system for automated operation. The Central Control Center will have a traffic management area with seven stations: one supervisor, three controllers, one rolling stock technician, and two on-call staff members.