Starting this Saturday, the Madrid commuter rail network will face a new wave of service disruptions due to various infrastructure projects being carried out simultaneously at several key locations in the region. The planned work will require the suspension of nighttime service between Atocha and Chamartín, will temporarily halt train service on the mountainous stretch between Cercedilla and Los Molinos, and will cause upcoming disruptions in the strategic Sol Tunnel.
The first major disruption will occur in the early morning hours of August 22 and 23. Infrastructure work at Chamartín Station will require a partial suspension of train service between 12:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., directly affecting the route through the Recoletos Tunnel for lines C-2, C-7, C-8a, and C-8b. Although the Recoletos station will remain open to the public, service will be severely limited, with only two trains operating until 7:30 a.m.
Train service disruptions in the mountains for two weeks
At the same time, from this Saturday, August 22, through September 5, rail service on Line C-8b will be completely suspended between the Cercedilla and Los Molinos stations. The reason for this uninterrupted 14-day suspension is the renovation of the catenary poles at the Cercedilla station headend. To ensure passengers can continue to travel, Renfe will provide an alternative bus service with up to 38 daily trips Monday through Friday and 36 on weekends.
The work schedule also includes disruptions at the end of the month related to the implementation of the new track layout at Atocha Station. During the weekends of August 29 and 30, as well as September 5 and 6, the Sol Tunnel will be closed between Atocha and Nuevos Ministerios. During these days, trains on lines C-3 and C-4 will have Atocha as their temporary terminus, while trains on lines C-4a and C-4b will end their routes at Nuevos Ministerios.
In addition to these specific disruptions, at least through August 28, lines C-2, C-7, C-8a, C-8b, and C-10 will continue to operate with structural changes to their usual frequencies and routes. Given this complex operational scenario, authorities recommend that travelers check Renfe’s official channels and plan their trips in advance.