The Community mobilises 40 promoters to inform passengers of the closure and transport alternatives on Metro line 6
On 31 May, work will begin on the track platform to adapt it to the new automatic traffic model. A website has been created with all the information about the work, free replacement transport and frequently asked questions. Users will have an online trip calculator accessible via a QR code located at the stops of the special bus service.
The Community of Madrid has launched an information system to inform users of the closure and transport alternatives on Metro line 6, where work starts on 31 May to become the first line in the entire underground network to have automatic driving. A total of 40 promoters will tour line 6 to inform users on the days before and after the cut.
The start of the work will mean that service will be suspended until 12 September on the western section of the line, between Moncloa and Méndez Álvaro stations, while in a second phase, between 13 September and 31 December, work will be undertaken on the eastern section of the line between Moncloa and Legazpi stations. The Arganzuela-Planetario station will remain closed for the entire time in order to coordinate all the planned work.
From today, 21 May, there will be promoters on the platforms of line 6 stations to guide passengers and hand out leaflets with all the information. Specifically, until the day before the closure, there will be 29 promoters distributed in the 15 affected stations, from 7 am to 10 am and from 2 pm to 7 pm; while from 31 May to 8 June the number will increase to 38 promoters, with the same timetable. Metro station staff will also participate in the passenger service and information system, which will also be available on the company's other channels (public address system, remote indicators, posters and social media). Moreover, Metro has developed an online trip calculator with information on the transport alternatives in the different phases of the works, which will be available for consultation via QR codes at the bus stops of the substitute bus service, as well as on the company's website and app.
Metro has also created a specific microsite on its website exclusively for the renovation work on line 6, which includes all the information on free replacement transport with maps of the location and the route of the special bus stops. This website also includes detailed information on the works and the different actions, which will be updated as they progress, and a section of frequently asked questions with the main queries of passengers. It also contains videos of the future of line 6, where users can learn about the new trains and see what the stations will look like after automation, including a glimpse of the new platform doors; and historical details and curiosities about the Circular line, the most popular line with an average of 400,000 daily users.
In order to alleviate the impact of the project on the mobility of passengers who use the Circular for their daily commute as much as possible, the regional government has established an alternative transport plan with a free replacement bus service, operated by the Empresa Municipal de Transportes (EMT), which will cover the affected interval on the surface. Its frequency, which will be between 3 and 5 minutes, will be adapted to demand according to the time zone.
In addition, other options have been made available, such as the shuttles that will connect Batán with Lucero and Legazpi with Plaza Elíptica. The 180 EMT line from Legazpi to Arganzuela-Planetario, which can be used free of charge during the closure, will also be extended and the timetable expanded. The plan has been designed after gathering the opinion of 10,000 users of L6, whom Metro de Madrid has interviewed to find out their proposals and offer effective alternatives that meet their needs.
The comprehensive reform of L6, which will culminate in 2027 with the arrival of the new cabless trains, requires action on all elements of the Metro system, from the track to the tunnels, communications, energy and signalling. In fact, work is already under way prior to the start of the works, which is why the end of the service has been brought forward to midnight from Sunday to Thursday. This limitation will remain in force on the open section until the work is completed. Thus, on 1 January 2026, Line 6 will reopen fully and on its normal timetable.
After the renovation of the track superstructure from January 2026, the next step will be the installation of platform doors for the running of the new automatic trains, which are already being manufactured by CAF. The signalling system on the line will also be technologically updated, incorporating the required synchronisation between the opening of these elements and the stopping of trains.
