The first of the 48 automatic trains that will renew Line 6 has arrived at the Cuatro Vientos Depot. Night tests in manual mode are starting on lines 10, 11 and 12 without affecting daytime service.
The President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, visited the Cuatro Vientos Depot on Monday to see the first automatic train that will operate on Line 6 starting in 2027. The train, manufactured by CAF, has already begun its tests on the tracks at night on lines 10, 11 and 12, without interfering with the usual service.
The total investment amounts to €531.2 million, the largest fleet renewal of the Metro since 2008. The 48 trains will replace the Series 8000 and will represent an 11% increase in the current fleet.
Technical features of the new train
Each unit consists of six cars with intercommunication corridors 2.9 meters wide, 10 centimeters wider than the current ones. The capacity increases by 17%, from 1,200 to 1,385 passengers, 165 of whom will be seated.
The maximum speed will be 110 km/h, 33% faster than the current trains, allowing for a frequency of 30 trains per hour, with intervals of just two minutes. Additionally, electricity consumption will be reduced by 20% thanks to the modern traction system and regenerative braking.
The Director of Railway Operations of Metro de Madrid, Juan Tébar, highlighted that the train has four pantographs instead of two, improving efficiency. "It is fully modernized, with a greater sense of space because the size of the seats and the shoulder angle have been carefully considered," he noted.
Night tests without inconvenience for passengers
The tests are conducted at night, without service interruptions, to avoid affecting users. Initially in manual mode on lines 10, 11 and 12, and later, when the technological adaptation works are completed, on Line 6 in automatic operation.
One of the most striking innovations is that the trains will not have a driver's cabin: at the front, there will be a panoramic glass through which passengers can see the tracks and stations. "It is a train of the future, a public transport designed to be a major communication artery," Ayuso added.
For the residents of the capital, the automation of Line 6 will represent a qualitative leap: the daily capacity will increase from 430,000 to 731,000 passengers. Current drivers will be redistributed to other lines, with no job losses.
Impact on metropolitan mobility
Line 6, which serves districts such as Chamartín, Tetuán, Chamberí, Moncloa, Latina, Carabanchel, Usera, Puente de Vallecas, Moratalaz, Ciudad Lineal and Hortaleza, will become the first automated line in the network. This will particularly benefit the thousands of residents who use it daily to travel through the centre and south of the city.
"It is a milestone that places the Madrid subway among the most advanced in the world," the president emphasized. The technological adaptation works on Line 6 began on May 31 and will continue until 2027. Meanwhile, the new trains will continue to conduct night tests to ensure their reliability.
Residents in the southern area, such as those from Getafe, Leganés, Fuenlabrada, Móstoles and Alcorcón, will also benefit from the tests on MetroSur, as the trains will run on line 12, improving the frequency and efficiency of the service.
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