METRO
Metro begins installation of new catenary on line 6
The modernisation of line 6 has reached one of its most important phases. Replacement of the conventional catenary by the rigid catenary type makes it necessary to close the line, by sectors, during the summer, starting next 13 June between Laguna and Legazpi.
Metro de Madrid will begin the installation from next Saturday 13 June on line 6 of the rigid
catenary created by the company itself. This is one of the main projects included in the plan to
modernise Metro’s circle line, which will mean an enhanced system for the capture of the
electrical current which provides trains with the running power they need. Preliminary installation
has been carried out since January of all the mounts necessary for its introduction and, from 13
June, it will be changed, by phases, until mid-September.
Metro’s rigid catenary has a number of advantages over the existing system on line 6 (conventional catenary): simplicity, strength, fewer incidents and low maintenance costs, summed up in better performance and more economical installation. The rigid catenary is a project which was developed and patented by Metro. The cost of maintenance of one kilometre of conventional catenary is more than 14,000 euros, whereas with Metro’s rigid catenary, this is less than 7,000. Its profile makes it possible to increase maximum train speed by up to 25% while maintaining safety, comfort and reliability levels.
Thus, from autumn, the more than 120 million travellers who use this line each year will have this new electrical power pickup system. Metro will spend 17.8 million euros on its startup on line 6.
The summer has been chosen for the entire installation, to affect the smallest number of clients. Moreover, cuts will not be applied all at once on the whole line but by phases, from mid-June until mid-September. Service will first be suspended from 13 to 26 June between the stations of Legazpi and Laguna. On 27 June, this will be extended by two more stations (Lucero and Arganzuela), and both these sections will be back in service from 11 July, when the suspension will be from Laguna to Nuevos Ministerios. This will end on 7 August, and the following day the service will be interrupted between Cuatro Caminos and Legazpi. Line 6 will be back in full normal service from 13 September.
Phase 1 Suspension: Legazpi – Laguna 13/06 – 26/06
Phase 2 Suspension: Sector extended to arganzuela – Lucero 27/06 - 10/07
Phase 3 Suspension: Nuevos Ministerios – Laguna 11/07 - 7/08
Phase 4 Suspension: Cuatro Caminos – Legazpi 8/08 - 13/09
To prevent disruptions to clients’ mobility on the line, the Regional Transport Consortium has implemented an alternative transport service, with buses stopping at the stations on the section affected. An information campaign will be put in place to inform clients in advance and notify the bus routes which will be started up, using posters and announcements in the Metro facilities. As well, leaflets will be prepared for distribution to Metro clients throughout the network.
Specifically in this first phase, the following will be the Special Service stops:
* Direction Legazpi-Laguna
- Legazpi Station: Plaza de Legazpi and Paseo de la Chopera.
- Usera: Marcelo Usera and Paseo Ferroviarios.
- Plaza Elíptica: Marcelo Usera and Plaza de Fernández Ladreda.
- Opañel: Avenida de Oporto and Portalegre.
- Oporto: Glorieta Valle de Oro and Avenida de Oporto.
- Carpetana: Nuestra Señora de Valvanera and La Laguna.
- Laguna: Alhambra opposite Cuart de Poblet.
* Direction Laguna-Legazpi:
- Laguna: Alhambra and Cuart de Poblet.
- Carpetana: Nuestra Señora de Valvanera and Vía Carpetana.
- Oporto: Avenida de Oporto and Glorieta Valle de Oro
- Opañel: Avenida de Oporto and Portalegre.
- Plaza Elíptica: Marcelo Usera and Fernández Ladreda.
- Usera: Marcelo Usera and Paseo Ferroviarios
- Legazpi: Plaza de Legazpi and Paseo de las Delicias.
These special EMT services will run from 06:00 hours until 02:00 hours the following day.
Metro’s rigid catenary has a number of advantages over the existing system on line 6 (conventional catenary): simplicity, strength, fewer incidents and low maintenance costs, summed up in better performance and more economical installation. The rigid catenary is a project which was developed and patented by Metro. The cost of maintenance of one kilometre of conventional catenary is more than 14,000 euros, whereas with Metro’s rigid catenary, this is less than 7,000. Its profile makes it possible to increase maximum train speed by up to 25% while maintaining safety, comfort and reliability levels.
Thus, from autumn, the more than 120 million travellers who use this line each year will have this new electrical power pickup system. Metro will spend 17.8 million euros on its startup on line 6.
The summer has been chosen for the entire installation, to affect the smallest number of clients. Moreover, cuts will not be applied all at once on the whole line but by phases, from mid-June until mid-September. Service will first be suspended from 13 to 26 June between the stations of Legazpi and Laguna. On 27 June, this will be extended by two more stations (Lucero and Arganzuela), and both these sections will be back in service from 11 July, when the suspension will be from Laguna to Nuevos Ministerios. This will end on 7 August, and the following day the service will be interrupted between Cuatro Caminos and Legazpi. Line 6 will be back in full normal service from 13 September.
Phase 1 Suspension: Legazpi – Laguna 13/06 – 26/06
Phase 2 Suspension: Sector extended to arganzuela – Lucero 27/06 - 10/07
Phase 3 Suspension: Nuevos Ministerios – Laguna 11/07 - 7/08
Phase 4 Suspension: Cuatro Caminos – Legazpi 8/08 - 13/09
To prevent disruptions to clients’ mobility on the line, the Regional Transport Consortium has implemented an alternative transport service, with buses stopping at the stations on the section affected. An information campaign will be put in place to inform clients in advance and notify the bus routes which will be started up, using posters and announcements in the Metro facilities. As well, leaflets will be prepared for distribution to Metro clients throughout the network.
Specifically in this first phase, the following will be the Special Service stops:
* Direction Legazpi-Laguna
- Legazpi Station: Plaza de Legazpi and Paseo de la Chopera.
- Usera: Marcelo Usera and Paseo Ferroviarios.
- Plaza Elíptica: Marcelo Usera and Plaza de Fernández Ladreda.
- Opañel: Avenida de Oporto and Portalegre.
- Oporto: Glorieta Valle de Oro and Avenida de Oporto.
- Carpetana: Nuestra Señora de Valvanera and La Laguna.
- Laguna: Alhambra opposite Cuart de Poblet.
* Direction Laguna-Legazpi:
- Laguna: Alhambra and Cuart de Poblet.
- Carpetana: Nuestra Señora de Valvanera and Vía Carpetana.
- Oporto: Avenida de Oporto and Glorieta Valle de Oro
- Opañel: Avenida de Oporto and Portalegre.
- Plaza Elíptica: Marcelo Usera and Fernández Ladreda.
- Usera: Marcelo Usera and Paseo Ferroviarios
- Legazpi: Plaza de Legazpi and Paseo de las Delicias.
These special EMT services will run from 06:00 hours until 02:00 hours the following day.
Modernisation of line 6
Another of the innovations Metro is already introducing on Line 6 and which will clearly benefit circle line users is the new train signalling and traffic control system (CBTC) also being applied in the process to modernise the line. The CBTC system will make it possible to increase carrier capacity by 30% to more than 34,000 per hour in each direction, reducing intervals between trains and increasing the maximum number of trains able to operation simultaneously on each track while maintaining safety levels at all times.Complete renewal of the rolling stock is another of the challenges facing line 6. It is hoped that 180 new wagons will come on stream, progressively, by 2011.
As well, the 26 kilometres of tunnel comprising Metro de Madrid’s Line 6 will have new lighting and power circuits by the end of next summer, on which the company will spend more than 5.2 million euros. A beginning has also been made on the renewal of the ventilation installations in the oldest shafts on the circle line, another of the measures forming part of the plan to upgrade line 6, for implementation in about 18 months and with a 4 million euro investment.
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