Line 6 of the Madrid Metro will be running again from tomorrow, December 20th, 11 days before the date initially planned by the Community of Madrid, which had set the complete reopening for December 31st. This brings to an end seven months of partial cuts and surface transfers on the most used suburban line, with some 430,000 passengers a day.
From the first train on Saturday, all trains on Line 6 will run along the entire ring again, including the eastern arc between Legazpi and Moncloa via Avenida de América, which was the last section pending construction work. Until now, users were forced to get off at stations such as Méndez Álvaro, Avenida de América or Legazpi and complete the journey on special buses or using alternative lines. These buses took a month to start running when the works began last September, which caused chaos during the return to school and work after the vacations.
The substitute buses will remain in operation for a few days to facilitate the transition, but the regular Metro service is once again the main feature of the circular corridor.
What has been done during these months on Line 6
The phased closure of Line 6 has been used for a comprehensive remodeling of the infrastructure in which rails have been renewed on the 23 kilometers of the eastern arc, the ballast has been replaced with concrete slabs, the layout of curves has been improved, and signaling and communications systems have been updated. At the same time, platform edges are being reinforced and gauges are being adapted so that automatic doors can be installed in the future, a key element for driving without a train driver.
Another of the major new features, less visible to passengers, but fundamental, is the change in electrical voltage: the line is being upgraded from 600 to 1,500 volts to supply the trains, which will reduce energy consumption by around 30% and increase reliability. To this end, 13 electrical substations have been renovated, in an investment co-financed with European ERDF 2021-2027 funds.
First step towards a driverless metro
All these works are part of the automation plan for Line 6, which the Community of Madrid wants to become the first line with automatic driving of the entire network by 2027. The aim is that, with the new trains and the automation system, the circular line will be able to offer frequencies of around two minutes at rush hour and better absorb peak demand.
From January 7, works will continue at night to complete the installation of equipment and platform doors, which will force the line to close at 23:00 from Sunday to Thursday for a period of time, maintaining the usual schedule on Fridays and Saturdays.