The regional government will begin track trials of this new fleet this summer, having allocated more than €531 million to increase transport capacity by up to 70% and reduce the interval between services to two minutes. “This will once again place our underground system amongst the most advanced in the world,” added the president, who emphasised that this major investment will see the older models taken out of service “whilst we continue to demand the highest standards of service”.

The first of these trains, manufactured by CAF, has completed the production and industrial validation phases, including the initial dynamic tests carried out by the company. From now on, an extensive programme of tests under real-world operating conditions will begin at Metro’s facilities to assess the system’s performance, confirm its integration with the infrastructure and ensure the correct operation of the new signalling, communications and control systems to be incorporated into Line 6.

These initial trials, which will take place over the coming months on lines 10, 11 and 12 during night-time hours and will initially be operated by a single driver, will enable an analysis of parameters relating to safety, reliability, dynamic performance, comfort and the interoperability of the rail system as a whole. Then, once the work currently underway has been completed, the tests will be carried out on the L6 line itself and will operate in automatic mode.

The 48 new trains consist of six carriages and will be over 109 metres long, with a capacity of up to 1,385 passengers – 17% more than the current models. Aside from its innovative design, characterised by wide aisles and the absence of a traditional driver’s cab, other notable features include its top speed, which has increased by 33% to 110 km/h, and its energy efficiency, with fuel consumption reduced by 20%.

Whilst testing is taking place in Madrid, production of the remaining units that make up the fleet will continue. At present, there are already two others that are fully completed and two more at a very advanced stage of production, ready to be moved and gradually integrated. Each of them is transported by road, using convoys of up to six articulated lorries due to their considerable size. 

In addition, the metropolitan transport company is making progress with the installation of platform screen doors at each of the 28 stations on the Circular Line  and has recently begun training to enable underground staff to adapt to the new operating model and acquire the necessary knowledge to cope with this technological change. In this regard, President Díaz Ayuso explained that, once driverless trains are operating on Line 6, it will also be possible to redeploy train drivers across the rest of the network, “thereby improving the service and work-life balance without cutting a single job”.

This project is in addition to the initiatives currently being undertaken by the regional government to modernise and expand the Metro network, including the refurbishment of stations such as Ventas, Santiago Bernabéu and Avenida de América, as well as the installation of new lifts and escalators to improve accessibility. At the same time, the underground network continues to expand with the extension of Line 11 between Plaza Elíptica and Conde de Casal, the extension of Line 5 to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, and the extension of Line 3 to El Casar, which is due to come into service in April 2025.

Similarly, the Community of Madrid has begun work on upgrading the platforms at the 28 stations on Line 6, a project that is essential to complete its automation and transform the Circular Line, the busiest line in the entire network with nearly 430,000 passengers a day, into the first major Metro line to operate fully automatically.

The project, which involves an investment of €8 million, will run for the next ten months and will be carried out exclusively at night to ensure the service continues to operate as normal and to minimise disruption to passengers.

The works include the comprehensive refurbishment of the platform surfacing using more resistant and durable materials, the installation of tactile paving to help visually impaired people find their way, and the correction of the existing height difference between the train and the platform. These improvements will enhance accessibility and enable the installation of future automatic doors, one of the key elements of the new operating system.

In addition, stainless steel and safety glass screens will be installed at the ends of the platforms to complete the line of enclosures and provide the technical spaces required for the operation of the new infrastructure. The dry risers will also be adapted to ensure that the fire protection system is fully operational in accordance with current regulations.