Madrid Metro

Madrid Metro
Overview
Native name Metro de Madrid
Locale Madrid, Spain
Transit type Rapid transit
Number of lines 13[1]
Number of stations 301[1]
Annual ridership 560.9 million (2014)[1]
Website Metro De Madrid
Operation
Began operation October 17, 1919
Operator(s) Metro De Madrid
Number of vehicles 2404
Technical
System length 293.0 km (182.1 mi)[1]
Track gauge 1,445 mm (4 ft 8 78 in),
1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge
System map

Typical Madrid metro entrance, designed by Antonio Palacios, at Tribunal station

The Madrid Metro (Spanish: Metro de Madrid) is a metro system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the 8th longest metro in the world, though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world. Its fast growth in the last 20 years has also put it among the fastest growing networks in the world, rivalling many Asian metros such as the Shanghai Metro, Guangzhou Metro, Beijing Subway or the Delhi Metro. Unlike normal Spanish road and rail traffic, which uses right hand drive, Madrid Metro trains use left-hand running on all lines for historical reasons. The Madrid Metro operates every day from 6 am until 1:30 am.[2]

A light rail system feeding the metro opened in 2007 called Metro Ligero (light metro).[3] The 'Cercanias' system works in conjunction with the metro servicing commuter train services to and across the city.

Some underground stations are large enough to hold public events, such as the three-day fitness festival in May 2011, which attracted 2,600 visitors. One station contains a 200-square-meter archaeological museum.

The Madrid Metro has 1,698 escalators, the most of any system in the world.

History

The closed Chamberí station on line 1.

The first line of the Madrid metro opened on 17 October 1919 under the direction of the Compañía de Metro Alfonso XIII, with 8 stations and 3.5 km (2.2 mi). The Madrid Metro is the first metro system in Spain and the second in the Spanish-speaking world after the Buenos Aires Underground. It was constructed in a narrow section and the stations had 60 m platforms. The enlargement of this line and the construction of two others followed shortly after 1919. In 1936, the network had three lines and a branch line between Opera and Norte railway station. All these stations served as air raid shelters during the Spanish Civil War.

Metro de Madrid Diesel motors used for generating electricity before the Spanish War

After the civil war, the public works to extend the network went on little by little. In 1944, a fourth line was constructed and it absorbed the branch of line 2 between Goya and Diego de León in 1958, a branch that had been intended to be part of line 4 since its construction but was operated as a branch of line 2 until the construction of line 4.

In the 1960s, a suburban railway was constructed between Plaza de España and Carabanchel, linked to lines 2 (at Noviciado station with a long transfer) and 3. A fifth metro line was constructed as well with narrow section but 90 m platforms. Shortly after opening the first section of line 5, the platforms in line 1 were enlarged from 60 to 90 m, closing Chamberí station since it was too close to Iglesia (less than 500 m). Chamberí has been closed ever since and has recently been opened as a museum.

In the early 1970s, the network was greatly expanded to cope with the influx of population and urban sprawl from Madrid's economic boom. New lines were planned with large 115 m platforms. Lines 4 and 5 were enlarged as well. In 1979, bad management led to a crisis. Works already started were finished during the 1980s and all remaining projects were abandoned. After all those projects, 100 km (62 mi) of rail track had been completed and the suburban railway had also disappeared since it had been extended to Alonso Martínez and thence converted to line 10.

At the beginning of the 1990s, control of the network was transferred to a public enterprise, Metro de Madrid. More large-scale expansion projects were carried out. Lines 1, 4 and 7 were extended and a new line 11 was constructed towards the outlying areas of Madrid. Lines 8 and 10 were joined together into a longer line 10 and a new line 8 was constructed to expand the underground network towards the airport. The enlarged line 9 was the first to leave the outskirts of Madrid to arrive in Rivas-Vaciamadrid and Arganda del Rey, two towns located in the southeast suburbs of Madrid.

In the early 2000s, a huge project installed approximately 50 km (31 mi) of new metro tunnels. This construction included a direct connection between downtown Madrid (Nuevos Ministerios) and the airport, the lengthening of line 8, and adding service to the outskirts with a huge 40 km loop called MetroSur serving Madrid's southern suburbs.

MetroSur, one of the largest ever civil engineering projects in Europe, opened on 11 April 2003. It includes 41 km (25 mi) of tunnel and 28 new stations, including a new interchange station on Line 10, which connects it to the city centre and stations linking to the local train network. Its construction began in June 2000 and the whole loop was completed in less than three years. It connects Getafe, Móstoles, Alcorcón, Fuenlabrada, and Leganés, five towns located in the area south of Madrid.

Most of the current efforts of Madrid regional government are channeled towards the enlargement of the Metro network. In the 2003-2007 term, President Esperanza Aguirre funded a multibillion-dollar project, which has added to, joined, or extended almost all of the metro lines. The project included the addition of 90 km (56 mi) and the construction of 80 new stations. It has carried the underground railway to many districts that had never previously had Metro service (Villaverde, Manoteras, Carabanchel Alto, La Elipa, Pinar de Chamartín) and to the eastern and northern outskirts as well (Coslada, San Fernando de Henares, Alcobendas, San Sebastián de los Reyes). For the first time in Madrid, 3 interurban light rail (Metro Ligero or ML) lines were built to the western outskirts (Pozuelo de Alarcón, Boadilla del Monte) - mL2 and mL3 - and to the new northern districts of Sanchinarro and Las Tablas - mL1. As a last-minute addition, a project on line 8 connected it to the new T4 terminal of Madrid-Barajas Airport.

Future expansion

There are numerous expansion and improvement projects pending; many suspended due to the current financial crisis (as of 2010). For example, lines 1 and 5 reaching Valdebebas, extending line 11 further north towards Atocha railway station and beyond, as well as extending line 9 to the north, opening the station Arroyo del Fresno on line 7 and extending line 3 further south.

Station design and setup

Lago station in the old Line S (now Line 10) is one of the few surface stations in the Metro network.
Alonso Martínez station in Line 4: old stations are often compact, and usually not too deep underground
Getafe Central in Line 12, with a Cercanías transfer: new stations are built deliberately ample, with several, cross-visible levels and elevators for disabled people.
Estrella station in Line 9, in the old style.

Stations in the Madrid metro reveal their age in their design: older stations on the narrow lines are often quite compact, similar to the stations on the Paris Metro. They were decorated with tilings in different colour schemes depending on the station. In recent years, most of these stations have been refurbished with single coloured plates matching those in the newest ones. The stations built between the late 70s and the early 90s are slightly more spacious and most of them have cream colored walls.

On the other hand, the most recent stations are built with space in mind, and are considered amongst the best in the world for their natural-like lighting and ample entryways. The colour scheme varies between stations, using single-colored plates and covering the whole station in light colors. Recently built transfer stations have white walls, but this is not the norm.

Most stations are built with two side platforms, and a handful of them (the busiest transfers) have a central island platform in addition to the side platforms theoretically dedicated to exits. This system was originally used on the Barcelona Metro and is called the Spanish solution. Stations with this setup include:

Some stations have cross-platform interchange arrangement which allows extremely fast transfers between two lines. The only stations with this setup are Príncipe Pío () and Casa de Campo (). On both occasions, Line 10 uses the outside tracks, so passengers unboarding there leave through the "right" side of the train instead of the usual left side.

In addition, a few stations are built with just one island platform instead of the usual side platforms. These stations are:

Another system is where there is one island platform with one side platform. This system is used in the stations on Lines 7, 9 & 10 where it is required for passengers to change to smaller trains to continue their journeys, normally to towns outside Madrid like Alcobendas or Coslada. This is done so the island platform can be used for passengers to change easily between trains. These stations are:

Overhead power supply system

Since 1999 Metro de Madrid has used a patented system for its installations: a solid rail hung from the ceiling of the tunnels, instead of the usual copper or aluminium wire hung from overhead gantries at regular intervals. This type of overhead catenary line is rigid, making it more robust and less prone to failures. Installations outside of tunnels are rare, as they require many more support structures compared to traditional wire based overhead lines, making them more expensive to install. This system of rigid overhead power supply is also used in other metro systems.

Lines

The Metro network has 231 stations on 12 lines plus one branch line, totalling 282 km, of which approximately 92% is underground. The only surface parts are: Empalme-Eugenia de Montijo (), Lago-Casa de Campo () and Puerta de Arganda-Arganda del Rey (). Additionally, some 30 km of Metro Ligero (modern tram) lines serve the various regions of the metropolitan area which have been deemed not populated enough to justify the extraordinary spending of new Metro lines. Most of the ML track length is on surface, usually running on platforms separated from normal road traffic. However, ML1 line has some underground stretches and stations. Traditionally, the Madrid metro was restricted to the city proper, but today nearly one third of its track length runs outside the border of the Madrid municipality. Today, the Metro network is divided in five regions:

At most of the borders between the regions, one has to switch trains even when staying in the same line, because the train frequency is higher in the core MetroMadrid than in the outer regions.

Madrid also has an extensive commuter train (Cercanías) network operated by Renfe, the national rail line, which is intermodal with the metro network. In fact, 22 Cercanías stations have connections to the Metro network, which is indicated on the official map by the Cercanías logo. Many of the new lines since 1999 have been built to link to or end at Cercanías stations, like the ML2 line, which ends at the Aravaca station providing a fast entry into Madrid though the C-7 or C-10 commuter lines and arriving in only one step to the bus and Metro hub Príncipe Pío ( ).

Line Terminus Length Stations Average Intersection Loading gauge Platform Main service by Configuration
Pinar de Chamartín Valdecarros 23.876 km (14.8 mi) 33 723m narrow 90 m CAF s. 2000-A M.R-M.R-R.M
Las Rosas Cuatro Caminos 14.031 km (8.7 mi) 20 701m 60 m CAF s. 3000 MRRM
Villaverde Alto Moncloa 16.424 km (10.2 mi) 18 912m 90 m CAF s. 3000 MRSSRM
Argüelles Pinar de Chamartín 16.0 km (9.9 mi) 23 695m 60 m CAF s. 3000 MRRM
Alameda de Osuna Casa de Campo 23.217 km (14.4 mi) 32 725m 90 m CAF s. 2000-B M.R-M.R-R.M
Circular 23.472 km (14.6 mi) 28 838m wide 115 m CAF s. 5000 & 8400 M.M-M.M-M.M
Hospital del Henares Estadio Olímpico Pitis 32.919 km (20.5 mi) 30 1097 m AnsaldoBreda s. 9000 MRSSRM
Nuevos Ministerios Aeropuerto T4 16.467 km (10.2 mi) 8 2057 m CAF s. 8000 MRSM
Paco de Lucía Puerta de Arganda Arganda del Rey 39.5 km (24.5 mi) 29 1410 m CAF s. 5000 & 6000 MRM-MRM
Hospital Infanta Sofía Tres Olivos Puerta del Sur 36.514 km (22.7 mi) 31 1177 m AnsaldoBreda s. 7000 MRSSRM
Plaza Elíptica La Fortuna 8.5 km (5.3 mi) 7 1214 m CAF s. 8400 MRSM
MetroSur 40.96 km (25.5 mi) 28 1462m CAF s. 8000 MRM-MRM
Ópera Príncipe Pío 1.092 km (0.7 mi) 2 546 m narrow 60 m CAF s. 3000 M.R-R.M
ML Pinar de Chamartín Las Tablas 5.395 km (3.4 mi) 9 599 m tramway 32 m Alstom Citadis 302 MRRRM
ML Colonia Jardín Estación de Aravaca 8.680 km (5.4 mi) 13 667 m
ML Colonia Jardín Puerta de Boadilla 13.699 km (8.5 mi) 16 855 m
Notes

Rolling stock

Cuatro Caminos Depot of Madrid Metro.

Traditionally, the trains operating in the Madrid Metro have been built and supplied by the Spanish company Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF). This was particularly true under Francisco Franco's dictatorship, due to the politic of autarchy his administration initially pursued. However, despite CAF still working nowadays for Metro, in recent years the Italian Ansaldobreda has also provided trains for the wide-profile lines.

Every rolling unit in the Madrid Metro has a unique ID that singles it out in the whole network. Those IDs are grouped by the rolling unit model (the "series") and thus is used to categorize the trains, as they bear no user-visible statement of the model specified by the manufacturer. An ID is made up of:

Trainsets currently in use

Narrow profile

A series 2000-B "bubble" metro train on line at Marqués de Vadillo station.
A series 3000 train arriving at Ventura Rodríguez station.

Wide profile

A series 5000 train at Plaza Eliptica station.
A series 7000 train arriving at Príncipe Pío station on line

Light rail (named Metro Ligero)

Currently, Metro Ligero has four lines, and one of them is located outside of Madrid:

Historic rolling stock

Historic rolling stock of the Madrid Metro.

Until the early 1990s and the transfer of the Metro system to the Autonomous Community of Madrid, the rate of investment in the network by the central government was extremely low,[19] and thus very old trains were used way beyond their intended lifespans. Particularly loathed was the case of line , which was serviced by the nearly 40-year-old series 300 and 1000 from CAF. It was not uncommon that a child would ride to school on the same train his/her parents took decades earlier. Some renewals, along with the purchases of series 2000A and 5000, were started by the socialist regional government of Joaquín Leguina, but in 1995 the People's Party took over the government with the promise to widely extend and improve the Metro service. New lines were built and old ones refurbished: line service was disturbed for several years as some stations at a time were closed and refitted, while line was closed for two consecutive summers in order to expand its platforms to 90 m. Then, new rolling stock was also requested: 1998 saw the arrival of the first CAF series 2000B, retiring the infamous series 1000. Initially the better-preserved series 300 were refitted and painted in the new blue-white color scheme (from the old red corporate image), but they were also retired with the arrival of more series 2000B and, finally, series 3000.

Fares

Ticket machines used on the Madrid Metro.

The Madrid Metro network is split into the six "functional" zones mentioned above. Each one has a "single" ticket (Billete Sencillo), valid for one trip within the zone, and a 10-trip ticket for a comparatively lower price. When crossing zone boundaries, one has to buy a new ticket for the zone being entered. There is also a "combined" ticket, which provides for a single trip between any two points of the network except the Airport stations, which have an additional supplement of €3. All in all, it is possible to go from the airport to any other point of the network for up to €5.00.

Also, the Consorcio Regional de Transportes (Regional Transportation Authority) has a division of its own, with geographic zones named A through C2. This body sells monthly and annual passes for unlimited trips within their zone of validity, and also a range of Tourist Passes for 1, 3, 5 or 7 days. All of them are accepted at the Metro stations within their zones, and passengers using a CRT pass do not have to pay the airport supplement.

Name Valid for Expires after Price
MetroX Sencillo MetroX zone 1 trip €1.50 - max €2.00
Metrobús MetroMadrid and EMT buses 10 trips €12.20
MetroX 10 viajes MetroX
Sencillo Combinado Whole network 1 trips €3.00
Abono Transportes Joven A - C2 (<26 y.o.) One calendar month €20
Abono Transportes Normal A - C2 €51.30 - €93.20
Abono Transportes 3ª Edad A - C2 (>65 y.o.) €11.60
Abono Transportes Annual Normal A - C2 One calendar year €523.60 - €950.40
Abono Transportes Annual 3ª Edad A - C2 (>65 y.o.) €119.90
Abono Turístico A 1 – 7 days €8.00 - €33.40
Abono Turístico T (all CRT zones) €16.00 - €66.00
TICKETS WITH ORIGIN-DESTINATION AIRPORT Single ticket + Supplement (*) €4.50 5.00 Combined Single ticket €6.00 + Supplement Airport Ticket €3.00 Supplement Airport Express bus ticket €5.00

Operators

The metro is operated by its own company, under the Department of Public Works, City Planning, and Transportation of the autonomous community of Madrid. The passage between Puerta de Arganda (Line 9) and Arganda del Rey (Line 9) is operated by Transportes Ferroviarios de Madrid (TFM). All of Madrid's rapid transit systems are members of the Consorcio Regional de Transportes, which sells monthly passes for unlimited use of the metro, bus and commuter train networks within the area covered by the pass.

See also

A train arriving at Estrella station on Line 9.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Metro De Madrid Figures". Metro De Madrid. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  2. Turespaña, Tourism Institute of Spain
  3. Von Mach, Stefan (March 2008). "Madrid Light Rail: Three lines to feed the metro". Metro Report International, of Railway Gazette International (UK).
  4. Trainset sizes vary between lines: 90m lines use six cars per train, while 60m lines use only four. Thus the actual number of trains varies between 88 and 132.
  5. CAF description for s.2000A (reversed, title says 2000B)
  6. CAF description for s.2000B (reversed, title says 2000)
  7. Andén 1 - Historia del Metro
  8. CAF description for s.5000 - sales information and photos correspond to subseries 5500
  9. CAF description for s.6000
  10. http://www.enelsubte.com/noticias/sbase-compra-metro-madrid-73-coches-caf-serie-6000-la-linea-b-2750
  11. http://www.enelsubte.com/noticias/metro-madrid-despacha-los-primeros-caf-6000-3037
  12. http://www.enelsubte.com/noticias/planean-renovacion-masiva-flota-la-linea-b-2622
  13. http://www.enelsubte.com/noticias/trenes-mitsubishi-convivirian-los-caf-5000-y-6000-la-linea-b-3036
  14. http://parabuenosaires.com/subtes-ciudad-compra-mas-de-70-vagones-serie-6000-a-madrid/
  15. http://www.ferronoticias.net/2014/01/28/serie-6000-metro-de-madrid-argentina/
  16. http://www.metromadrid.es/es/comunicacion/prensa/2014/Enero/noticia07.html
  17. La peor compra de material rodante de la historia del Subte - EnElSubte, 6 March 2015.
  18. CAF description for s.8000
  19. A similar case happens as of 2008 with the Cercanías commuter network, as the Spanish government is focused in the expansion of the nationwide AVE high speed network

External links

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