Metro de Madrid

Following the unprecedented effort made with respect to expansion of the Metro by the Madrid Region in the last four years, it has become necessary to set up a Network Quality Plan to put design and quality levels on an equal footing and to prevent any differences between the oldest stations and those recently opened.

This is why Metro will undergo improvement and modernisation measures, included in an ambitious plan based around three basic cores: safety, reliability and quality.

Safety

Metro de Madrid will make a great effort to improve safety in emergency situations, with the aim of continuing to ensure safe evacuation in tunnels and stations through the renewal and upgrading of lighting, the construction of new emergency exits and improved signalling.

As well as reinforcing fire protection systems, Metro will undertake modernisation and expansion of the Control Centre equipment, which as well as leading to improved safety, both on trains and at stations, will make it possible to improve the reliability of trains and stations.

Reliability

The plan also covers investment to improve facilities and in rolling stock to reduce the risk of breakdowns and to improve systems, facilities and stock in service and, in the end, to improve reliability.

To continue to ensure the supply of power to the existing network, electrical substation measures will be implemented and transformer centres and interconnection networks will be renewed.

Metro will purchase 36 new track cars (so called gang cars) and will improve the maintenance systems for this type of equipment, in order to improve quality and safety in maintenance, and to provide better reliability of our systems and facilities.

Quality

Metro de Madrid will improve quality measures promoted in the last redevelopment plan in order to offer greater accessibility, greater transport capacity, more modern equipment and stations and better environmental treatment.

Track renewal work will be carried out in the next few years on lines 1, 4 and 7, and redevelopment to stations, as is the case with Avenida de América, Diego de León, Manuel Becerra, Estrecho, Nuñez de Balboa, Oporto, Bilbao, Pacífico, Sainz de Baranda and Méndez Álvaro.

Line signalling will also be improved and escalators, turnstiles and ticket machines will be renewed.

The final aim is to bring the old system into line with the sections and stations introduced in the 2003-2007 Expansion Plan, the biggest in the history of the Madrid underground.