The sudden closure of line 3 over the weekend due to maintenance and renovation work is not the only news related to the yellow line these days: on Monday, the Community of Madrid announced that it is installing smart lockers for the collection of e-commerce orders.
The initiative, dubbed Metropaq, will create a network of 57 collection points with the capacity to handle more than 3,000 packages per day at the 19 stations on the line connecting Moncloa with El Casar (Getafe). These packages will be available for collection 365 days a year during the Metro’s normal operating hours: from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.
From mid-March, Amazon, GLS, and SEUR will “integrate their services” on line 3. Packages will be collected using a QR code without interfering with the flow of traffic at the station, according to the Community of Madrid. The network of smart lockers will be fully operational from April, according to estimates announced by the regional government.
In the statement published by the regional administration, they point out that, in addition to offering a new service to citizens, this project “optimizes the role of stations as urban logistics hubs” and will reduce the movement of delivery vehicles on the surface through more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Extension of lockers to other metro lines
The installation of smart lockers on line 3 is just the beginning: Metropaq plans to gradually expand throughout the subway system. This project is also included in the second phase of the regional government’s strategic freight transport plan, which began on November 28 on MetroSur.
The plan involves a train making specific stops at Alcorcón Central and El Bercial during the off-peak hours between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. to collect and transport goods to the Loranca depot. Once there, they are transferred to their delivery center to complete the delivery.