During a particularly tense and angry plenary session of the Assembly, news broke that many Madrilenians were waiting for: metro line 6 will fully open on Saturday, December 20, 11 days in advance. This was announced by the president … regional, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, in the middle of a parliamentary melee centered on corruption and sex scandals surrounding the Sánchez government and the PSOE, as well as the controversy around the Torrejón hospital.
Amid so much noise, and amid accusations and even insults, Ayuso was able to explain that he was about to reopen the entire line 6, the Circular, at the end of the major renovation works of the eastern arc, between Legazpi and Moncloa, along Avenida de América. Until December 20, the replacement buses which have been traveling this section on the surface since the start of the work will continue to run. Complete renovation work on the line, with 28 stations over 23.5 kilometers and the busiest with 430,000 daily passengers, began on May 31. After 203 days without service, traffic will resume on the entire line.
These actions, carried out since September on this eastern section, aim to improve the user experience by increasing comfort and reducing traffic incidents, as explained by the Community. They are part of the automation process of line 6, which in 2027 will become the first to automatically drive the entire network to increase the capacity and frequency of the service.
Arganzuela-Planetario was one of the most important points of this phase, functioning as an operational base in the renovation works of the track superstructure. Measurements were taken on 86 kilometers of the circular track and 35,000 cubic meters of ballast were removed to be replaced with a concrete platform.
During this work, the trains’ power supply voltage will also be changed from 600 volts to 1,500 volts to increase energy efficiency, with an estimated saving of 30 percent. This intervention will make it possible to renew the 13 electrical substations which supply this line with energy. In addition, the existing fiber cement was removed and the edge of the platforms was reinforced to support the future automatic doors, the installation of which will begin next January.
From January 7, the end of the service is brought forward to 11 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday
These elements, which will be present in the 28 stations, will be implemented at night and without affecting the normal operation of the line for most of the day. And since January 7, the end of the service has been brought forward to 11 p.m., from Sunday to Thursday, while on Fridays and Saturdays it maintains the usual schedule, coinciding with the most requested sections. As happened in the two phases in which the Circular did not remain fully operational, the metropolitan company assures that it will guarantee the mobility of travelers who use the line during this time slot with free buses that will run on the surface between 11 p.m. and 11 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
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