Some scenes look like they are out of a film: enormous escalators suspended in mid-air, towering over the streets of Madrid whilst a crane moves them with pinpoint accuracy into their final position.  These impressive works are taking place at stations such as San Blas, where three escalators are being installed to make it easier for thousands of passengers to get around every day. Parts weighing several tonnes “fly” for a few minutes before slotting into their exact positions within the Metro network: two between the street level and the passenger concourse, and another between the mezzanine level and the platforms.

This initiative is part of Metro de Madrid’s Accessibility Plan, which continues to transform the network to make it more user-friendly and accessible. In addition to these escalators, there are the two that have already been installed in Prosperidad and the other two that will begin to be installed in Estrella in July. All of them will be up and running next September.

With an investment of €3.5 million, these measures will enable the expansion of a network that already comprises 1,709 escalators, and will reinforce the Community of Madrid’s commitment to making public transport increasingly accessible to all. Since 2023, the regional government has allocated more than €228 million to the installation of 65 lifts to improve accessibility at 16 stations.