Metro de Madrid takes a further step towards accessibility and comfort for all its users with the installation of 15 new elevators in six key stations of the network. From March 2025, passengers will be able to access the platform directly from the street, without having to go up or down stairs or go through the traditional lobby, thanks to a system of direct elevators and validation turnstiles located in the access gallery.
In addition to this plan, Begoña station (Line 10) has completed its transformation into an accessibility benchmark with the installation of seven new high-capacity elevators, which allow barrier-free access from the street to the platforms.
This action, framed within the Accessibility and Inclusion Plan 2021-2028 of the Community of Madrid, involves an investment of 19 million euros and is scheduled to be completed within twelve months from the start of the works. The aim is to improve the mobility of people with disabilities, the elderly, families with baby carriages and, in general, all public transport users.
Which are the six Metro de Madrid stations that will have a direct street-and platform elevator?
The stations that will benefit from this improvement, all of them on a single line and with a large number of passengers, are:
- Tetuán
- Puente de Vallecas
- Ciudad Lineal (three elevators)
- Carabanchel (four elevators, due to its proximity to Hospital Gómez Ulla)
- Camp
- Canillejas
At least two elevators will be installed in each of these stations, one for each direction, and in the cases of Ciudad Lineal and Carabanchel, the number will be greater due to the volume of users and the strategic importance of these stops.
More accessibility in the Madrid Metro
The uniqueness of this model is that the elevator directly connects the public road with the platform, speeding up access and reducing dependence on stairs. The entrance turnstiles will be located in the elevator gallery itself, allowing the ticket to be validated on the way and eliminating intermediate steps.
In addition, in parallel to the installation of these elevators, new escalators are being installed at Prosperidad, Estrella and San Blas stations, reinforcing the modernization of the network.
With more than 559 elevators and 1,710 escalators, the Madrid subway has become one of the most accessible in Europe, and 85% of the stations are expected to be adapted by 2028.