Pablo R. Roces Madrid

Madrid

Updated Tuesday, February 20, 2024-13:32

The Community of Madrid has decided to bring forward

the launch of driverless carriages in the Madrid Metro

. If the first forecasts pointed towards the line that would cross the new urban developments of Madrid Nuevo Norte, finally it will be lines 6 first and then 8 that connects with the Barajas airport.

The regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced this Tuesday, during her visit to the expansion works on Line 3, that

before 2030 both sections will have the automated system.

The circular line will be the first since it is the one that receives the highest volume of travelers per year. According to data from the Department of Transport, in 2023,

this section welcomed 110 million users

, an average on a working day of 618,000.

The regional president has justified the action on this line 6 in

"its strategic importance" with 28 stations and 23 kilometers of route

. "We believe it is ideal to start the change towards automatic driving," said Ayuso, who stated that automatic driving will allow trains to start every two minutes, reduce the direction of travel and save energy.

Once this first adaptation is completed on Line 6, the Community will begin to implement it on Line 8, which connects the Barajas airport with the Nuevos Ministerios station, in the heart of Paseo de la Castellana. To these

will be added the future infrastructure that will be developed in Madrid Nuevo Norte

, which had been projected as a pilot test by the regional government.

From Puerta del Sol they affirm that this

will allow "once again" Madrid Metro to be "at the forefront"

of transport along with large European cities such as London, Paris, Hamburg, Istanbul or Budapest. The regional president has ruled out that due to this autonomy there will be cuts in the suburban workforce. "

All workers are going to be essential

to carry out this modernization and will be trained for this purpose," she noted during her visit to the works on Line 3, which will connect Villaverde with Getafe and whose work has been 65% completed. .