Madrid Metro commuters face another shake-up: starting January 7, the regular schedule on Line 6 (Línea 6) will be disrupted. The city’s most popular and crowded line will temporarily reduce weekday evening service hours. The reason isn’t routine maintenance, but an ambitious full automation project—already called the most significant upgrade in Madrid’s metro history.
If you’re used to getting home after midnight from Sunday to Thursday, you’ll now need to find an alternative. Stations will close at 11:00 p.m. instead of the usual time. Friday and Saturday nights remain unchanged for now—on these days the metro will keep its standard schedule so that locals and visitors can enjoy Madrid’s night life without disruption.
A technical revolution
These temporary inconveniences are due to the start of installation work for new automatic platform doors. This isn’t just another upgrade: it marks the creation of Madrid’s first fully automated metro line, set to launch in 2027. The new doors will separate passengers from the tracks for greater safety and order at stations, making boarding and disembarking more orderly.
For those who miss the last train, a free bus route is provided. From 11:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., special buses will run above ground, following the path of Line 6. This temporary solution ensures that no one is left without transport late at night.
Construction work
Before installing the new doors, engineers had to significantly reinforce the platforms. Nearly four thousand new supports and more than seven and a half kilometers of temporary decking highlight the scale of the preparatory work. Only after this phase did the installation of the partitions begin — these will remain open and locked until the automation process is fully completed.
The first station to receive the new doors will be Legazpi. This is where the second phase of the project begins. In total, 70 platforms will be equipped, with more than 1,600 new doors to be installed. All doors will be made from transparent, vandal-resistant materials to maintain a sense of spaciousness and ensure maximum visibility.
Safety and comfort
The doors will feature not only a modern design but also enhanced safety features. Bright color markings will help passengers easily locate where to board the train. LED screens installed at the top will display real-time wait times and any delays. The entire system will be centrally managed by a new intelligent complex that will oversee train movements, door operations, and respond to any emergency situations.
As a result, when the project is completed, trains on Line 6 will be fully automated and driverless. This will reduce intervals between trains to two minutes, increase capacity, and lower energy consumption. For passengers, this means less waiting time and a more comfortable journey.
Looking ahead
Line 6 has already completed the first phase of its upgrades: since December last year, trains have been running again on all 28 stations after major renovations. Now a new chapter begins — the phased installation of platform doors and rollout of the smart management system. Authorities promise all changes will be introduced as quickly as possible and with minimal inconvenience for residents.
However, no matter how hard organizers try, some temporary disruptions are unavoidable. But in the bigger picture, these changes are a step towards a future where urban transport is even safer, faster, and more convenient. Madrid is betting on technology, and Line 6 is the first, but clearly not the last, example of this approach.
