In the Madrid metropolitan area, the public transport schedule is traditionally revised ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. This year, changes affect both the metro and city and intercity buses. Residents and visitors can expect updated schedules on the busiest days in December and January.
On Christmas Eve (Nochebuena), December 24, the metro will finish service earlier than usual: the last train will depart from terminal stations at 21:30, with all service stopping by 22:00. The following day, December 25, trains will not begin running until 8 a.m. On New Year’s Day, January 1, the metro will open at 7:00, which also differs from the regular schedule.
Restrictions and service increases
Special attention is being given to Sol station, which traditionally becomes the center of mass celebrations on New Year’s Eve. On December 30 and 31, the station will be closed to passengers from 18:00 until the end of metro operations. This is due to official events related to the New Year’s festivities. To accommodate passengers, authorities will increase service on six metro lines (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10), boosting the number of trains by up to 131% during peak hours from 10:00 to 23:00. There will also be more staff and security personnel at stations to ensure order and safety.
On November 28, a record 2.82 million metro trips were made in one day—1.5% more than the same date last year. This surge in passengers is one of the reasons for ramping up the transport network during the festive period.
EMT buses and night routes
EMT city buses will also switch to a special schedule. On Christmas Eve, daytime routes will finish service between 20:30 and 20:45, depending on the line. On Christmas Day, service will resume between 7:15 and 8:45 am, also depending on the route. Special lines and buses serving the city cemeteries are exceptions.
Night buses, including the popular Exprés Aeropuerto line, will also change their schedules. All night routes (N1–N26) will start running at 22:00 and operate until 7:00 am, departing from Moncloa at set times. Lines N28 and N31 will run from 22:50 and then every 35 minutes until 7 am. The circular night routes NC1 and NC2 will run from 22:00 to 4:00 with 35-minute intervals, and then until 6:45 at 70-minute intervals.
Airport service and expanded daytime routes
The daytime Exprés Aeropuerto bus (Atocha–Airport) will depart for its last trip at 20:45 from Atocha and 20:30 from terminal T4. The night service on this route (Cibeles–Airport) starts at 22:00 and will run until 7:00 am on December 25, with buses every 70 minutes. From T4, night buses will run from 22:30 until 6:30. Daytime service resumes on Christmas Day at 7:40 am from both ends.
During the holiday period, daytime city bus routes will be reinforced until January 7. Additional services will run on lines 1, 2, 6, 9, 17, 18, 20, 23, 31, 32, 35, 50, 51, 53, 74, 133, 146, 147, 148, 150, and M1. On weekdays, extra buses will operate from 15:00 to 21:00, and on routes 001 and E1 from 9:00 to 22:00.
Changes at transport hubs
During the holiday period, the operating hours of major transport hubs will also change. Specifically, Moncloa, Príncipe Pío, Plaza de Castilla, and Avenida de América will switch to a new schedule, but this will not affect the routes of EMT city buses. At Plaza Elíptica, the hub will close early on December 24, though all final departures are guaranteed. On December 25, the hub will open at 8:00 a.m., so early departures for line 155 will leave from the stop on Lusitana street next to the interchange.
Intercity buses will also operate on an enhanced schedule. In particular, the number of departures on line 261 to the Mágicas Navidades park in Torrejón de Ardoz has been increased on holidays and weekends, as well as to the exhibition center in Móstoles for Navipark.
