Madrid is never calm, the capital evolves, modernizes, expands and becomes more expensive at a pace that is difficult for its inhabitants to keep up with. In 2026, this way of life of the city will accelerate and many of the major works that began in 2025 will come to an end, while some of the most decisive urban projects will begin.
Among the great novelties that the people of Madrid will experience in their daily lives is the return to normality of Metro Line 6, being able to walk along what will be the Paseo Verde del Suroeste and, of course, continuing to live with many more works in the city.
Madrid Metro
After this year’s major work between Legazpi and Moncloa, from December 20, 2025, Line 6 will start operating again with all its infrastructure renewed and prepared for future automatic driving. During 2026, tests and the reception of the first automated trains will begin, with the aim of becoming the first line with this system in 2027, reducing waiting times, consumption and breakdowns.
In 2026, in addition, 130 million will be allocated to purchase 48 new trains for line 6 and 40 for line 1, which will arrive progressively to increase capacity and frequency.
Also next year, almost 47 million will be allocated to the Accessibility and Modernization Plan, with actions in stations such as Santiago Bernabéu, Duque de Pastrana, Ventas, Alto de Extremadura, Ventilla, Tetuán, Puente de Vallecas, Carabanchel, Campamento, Ciudad Lineal and Canillejas. These works include the installation of elevators, renovation of escalators, improvement of lobbies and updating of systems to make the network more comfortable and useful for people with reduced mobility.
Castellana Park
The Parque Castellana project, which began in 2025, plans to underground some 675 meters of the promenade between Calle Sinesio Delgado and the Nudo Norte, freeing up more than 70,000 m² of surface area for green zones and pedestrian space.
In 2026, the second phase of the works will be carried out, with the central lanes cut in both directions and traffic diverted to the side roads until at least December. Full completion is not scheduled until the spring of 2027, according to information provided by the Madrid City Council.
Undergrounding of the A-5
The work on the A-5 transforms the old highway entering from the southwest into an urban corridor, especially in the section that crosses Latina. The City Council’s objective with this project is to eliminate the “wall” effect of the highway, reducing noise and pollution and replacing part of the surface lanes with tunnels and tree-lined areas, in the style of Madrid Río.
According to the budget presented for 2026, completion is scheduled for the end of next year. The surrounding neighborhoods will thus gain pedestrian continuity, safer passageways and an urban front more like a city promenade than a highway.
New neighborhoods
In 2026, it will mainly be a year of start-up of major developments and first deliveries in the new neighborhoods in the southeast, rather than fully completed neighborhoods. The main focus will be on Madrid Nuevo Norte, Valdecarros and Los Berrocales.
In Madrid Nuevo Norte, the first urbanization works are expected to start in the area of Las Tablas Oeste in the second quarter of 2026, once the final approval of the urbanization project has been obtained. This first area will combine some 700-750 housing units with offices and retail, and the plan is to overlap urbanization and construction starting in 2027 to bring forward the arrival of residents.
In Valdecarros, the City Council already assumes that in 2026 the first homes can start to be built, once stage 1 of urbanization (the most advanced) has reached around 95% completion. At the same time, stages 2 and 3 continue to be urbanized and work is being carried out with the aim of building, in these three initial phases alone, more than 13,000 homes of the more than 51,000 planned for the whole area, more than half of them with some type of protection.
In Los Berrocales, the works are so far advanced that the first housing developments are expected to be delivered at the beginning of 2026, consolidating the neighborhood as the most advanced project in the southeast. In Stage 1 alone, there are already fifteen developments underway (some 1,620 homes), as part of a development that will exceed 22,000 homes when it is fully completed.