The definitive connection of line 11 with the south of Madrid already has a route chosen and breaks with one of the most repeated ideas in recent years: it will not pass through Colonia Jardín nor will it add new intermediate stops, but will directly link La Fortuna with Cuatro Vientos, under the air base, in a tunnel of just over two kilometers. The Community of Madrid is thus opting for a quick “shortcut” between lines 11 and 10, designed to reinforce the network as a whole rather than to add an extra station in neighborhoods that already have other transport alternatives.
The informative study commissioned by the Department of Transport analyzed three alternatives to finish off line 11 in the south, including an extension to Colonia Jardín (line 10 + Metro Ligero), but in the end the option connecting La Fortuna with Cuatro Vientos without new stops was chosen. According to this analysis, linking through Cuatro Vientos is more efficient in environmental, economic and functional terms and benefits more potential users than taking the route to Colonia Jardín, where the additional demand would be lower and the construction cost higher.
The decision leaves out, at least at this stage, aspirations such as a specific station in the neighborhood of Las Águilas, whose residents have been demanding for years a direct access to the 11 and have even organized demonstrations so that a stop would be included in the project.
A 2.2-kilometer tunnel under the airbase
The southern link of the 11 will first take advantage of a ghost section already built. The sack bottom of almost one kilometer that exists beyond the current terminal of La Fortuna, used until now as a simple technical butt. From there, a new 2,272-meter tunnel will be dug under the military grounds of the Cuatro Vientos air base until it joins the current Line 10 station, where a new platform and concourse will be built specifically for Line 11.
There will be no intermediate stations between the two ends, but there will be two ventilation shafts, two emergency exits and a pumping shaft, essential elements for the safety and operation of a subway section of this type. The estimated budget is around 150.5 million euros (VAT included) and the estimated construction period is two years and nine months, so it will be difficult for the service to be operational before 2030.
What does the network gain from this “diagonal line”?
Although it may disappoint those who were expecting more stops, the regional government’s objective is to convert the 11 into a great “diagonal line” that will stitch the Metro map from southwest to northeast, connecting neighborhoods and lines that today require detours along the 6 or through the center.
When all the planned extensions are completed, the 11 will connect Cuatro Vientos with Valdebebas Norte, passing through: La Fortuna, Plaza Elíptica and the new section to Conde de Casal (currently under construction, with stations such as Comillas and Madrid Río). In addition to the central axis towards Vinateros, La Elipa, Pueblo Nuevo and Arturo Soria, according to the advanced designs for the Conde de Casal-Mar de Cristal section. In the north it will continue to Valdebebas and the airport, with up to six new stations and a link to Barajas on the Mar de Cristal-Valdebebas Norte section.