Trains on the platform of Metro station Sevilla, with an old black and white image at the top

100 years of L2

It's our anniversary!
Just over a century ago, on 14 June 1924, Metro opened its second line, then called East-West. It had 8 stations between Sol and Ventas and was actually the first section of a larger line, which would reach Quevedo.

The new line was just over 3.8 kilometres long and ran along Calle Alcalá to the new Monumental bullring. With its entry into service, Metro opened its first transfer, at Sol station, where the two existing lines converged, the L1 or Norte – Sur and the brand new L2. For this reason, it was necessary to build two new entrances, specifically the Gobernación (today the Real Casa de Correos) and the one on Calle del Carmen.

However, the stations that caused the greatest sensation were Retiro station, the largest in the network until then as it had a triple track, and Banco de España, because three free public crossings were installed there, both for passengers and for "the general public", according to the press.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia, who also visited the Nave de Motores de Pacífico.

One of the stations included in this new line, Sevilla, still has an advertising mural from 1924, a real gem of 1920s Art Deco. It is the work of Roberto Martínez Baldric and was recovered after the renovation of the station, after which large photographs of Madrid in those years were installed in the station.

In addition, the entry into service of L2 involved the incorporation of 31 new coaches, larger than those on the Cuatro Caminos Vallecas line. In addition to its greater capacity, some newspapers, such as El Imparcial, pointed out that "a system of absolutely silent fittings is used to close the doors, thus avoiding the noise produced when closing them when the trains set off".

This new model, called 'Ventas', can be found in the exhibition of classic trains in Chamartín.

If you wish, you can book your visit here: https://museosmetromadrid.es/museos/estacion-de-chamartin/