Engineering works will close several Madrid Metro lines and stations this August. From this Saturday, Moncloa station on Línea 6 will close, halting service between Argüelles and Ciudad Universitaria. A day later, Línea 7 will be suspended between Gregorio Marañón and Pitis. These closures add to ongoing disruptions on L9B and L10, affecting commuters and travelers across the capital.
The Moncloa shutdown will last until September 2. It is part of a broader effort to renew tracks and reinforce platforms ahead of the future automation of Línea 6. Metro de Madrid said it chose this timing because previous closures in 2025 could not include Moncloa, which then served as a terminus for the line. The current project aims to install platform doors and upgrade the station’s infrastructure, with the goal of improving safety and efficiency over the long term. The wider automation program includes upgrades to the line’s CBTC signaling and communications, changes to onboard train equipment, and preparations for future platform doors. Track and traction-power works are also part of the program. These include a planned change in electrical supply from 600 to 1,500 volts, as well as improvements to track alignment and geometry. Metro de Madrid describes the changes as preparation for “the arrival of the new automatic trains.”
The Línea 6 works form part of a wider investment program. Metro de Madrid has announced €69.7 million for signaling and communications upgrades, including €27.9 million in European Regional Development Fund co-financing, and a separate €140.5 million for track and traction-center works, with €25.7 million in European funding. The program aims to strengthen safety and infrastructure reliability, while supporting more efficient operations. The Comunidad de Madrid has also said that, once full automation is complete, Línea 6 is intended to run continuously from the start of Friday service until the end of Sunday service. The Circular line currently carries more than 430,000 passengers a day.
Starting Sunday, Línea 7 service will be interrupted between Gregorio Marañón and Pitis until August 28. The closure will allow work to advance on renewing the signaling system and track rails. It is part of a €33 million investment to modernize the entire stretch from Estadio Metropolitano to Pitis. The works will cover 20 kilometers of tunnel and 24 stations. Metro de Madrid’s broader signaling-renewal program for the Estadio Metropolitano-Pitis corridor aims to introduce more advanced technology, improving train-circulation safety and traffic management while making service more reliable.
The closure of Línea 9B (TFM) between Rivas Vaciamadrid and Arganda del Rey also remains in effect until August 13. To maintain mobility, the Madrid City Council and Empresa Municipal de Transportes (EMT) have deployed two free special bus services: SE6, linking Ciudad Universitaria and Argüelles, and SE7, connecting Gregorio Marañón and Pitis. SE6 will run every six minutes on weekdays and every seven to eight minutes on weekends and holidays. SE7 will operate every seven minutes on weekdays and every nine minutes on weekends. Both services will follow Metro’s operating hours.
Service on Línea 10 (Hospital Infanta Sofía-Puerta del Sur) remains suspended between Plaza de Castilla and Nuevos Ministerios because of ongoing works at Cuzco and Santiago Bernabéu stations. The interruption began in March and was extended in July. It is scheduled to last until August 21. EMT’s special S10 bus line is providing surface transport along the affected section, and Metro has reinforced service on lines 1 and 9, as well as bus routes 27 and 147 along Paseo de la Castellana.
Madrid continues to invest in public transport infrastructure to modernize basic lines and improve long-term reliability. The city’s approach reflects wider efforts across Spain to adapt urban services to changing needs. Those efforts include Barcelona’s recent opening of a daytime shelter for homeless people during the heatwave, detailed in this report on new climate shelters.
Madrid Metro is one of Europe’s largest urban rail systems, serving millions of passengers each month. Summer is traditionally chosen for major works because ridership is lower, but this year’s interventions are impressive in scale. Replacement buses and alternative routes are helping limit disruption. Passengers are advised to check updated schedules and allow extra travel time while the works continue through August.
