A metro extension that results in poorer connections and mobility for some passengers seems like a paradox, but it is the situation that residents of the Sanchinarro, Pinar de Chamartín, and Virgen del Cortijo neighborhoods could face if one of the Community of Madrid’s proposals to reroute Line 1 northward is approved.
Although there are five alternatives on the table, the most favorable one, according to the preliminary study, is the one that would cause them to lose their connection to Metro Line 1 at the Pinar de Chamartín and Bambú stations, where the Blue Line trains that currently run through them would no longer stop.
As a result, residents of the affected neighborhoods would be connected to the city center solely via Line 4, which would take them to Chamartín. Once there, they would have to transfer.
On the other hand, residents of the future Madrid Nuevo Norte development will gain three stations: Fuencarral Norte, Fuencarral Sur, and Centro de Negocios.
The affected neighborhoods are mobilizing
In protest of this change, hundreds of people from the three affected neighborhoods gathered last Thursday, March 26, on Arturo Soria Street, near the Pinar de Chamartín metro station, under the slogan “Line 1 stays!”
The press release in which the neighborhood associations called for the rally listed the inconveniences this would cause in their daily lives: “They’re taking away the direct metro line to downtown. They’re forcing you to transfer at Chamartín. Longer travel times and more overcrowding. Greater difficulties for seniors and people with reduced mobility.”
On the website of the Sanchinarro neighborhood association, they summarized their participation in the protest as follows: “We came to defend our connection; we’ve had enough of the Light Rail, which they used as an experiment in our neighborhood, as well as Bus Rapid 1, yet another experiment.”
Comments may be submitted until April 9
Although the regional government claims to maintain “its commitment to dialogue with residents,” those potentially affected are already working on compiling objections to submit by April 9, 2026, the deadline for this process.
To facilitate the process, they have created a QR code —which can be found on the Instagram profiles of the respective neighborhood associations for each area—that includes “a comprehensive file of objections, based on verifiable official data,” as well as instructions on how to submit them.
On the other hand, even though this controversial proposal is the most favorable at the moment, its feasibility will be determined during the public information process based on the reports collected.
