Madrid Metro: deserving of ‘Most Improved Metro’ award

Advanced safety and control systems, replacement of trains, major infrastructure modernisation projects and the use of latest track maintenance technology are just some of the ongoing developments being introduced by Metro de Madrid – which was recently recognised as the world’s most important metro.

Regarded as one of the largest metro systems in the world, Metro de Madrid has recently developed and upgraded many of its operational activities. This hard work was recently recognised at MetroRail 2008, which took place in Copenhagen in March, and the company was presented with the ‘Most Improved Metro’ award.

The aspects evaluated in the competition were the general condition of the network and its degree of coverage, both geographically and in terms of accessibility, passenger transport capacity, access, civil protection and security systems, existing information and entertainment media and events, efficiency of the service provided, contributions to the environment and innovation, and forthcoming improvement plans.

Metro de Madrid came out on top in the ‘Most Improved Metro’ category thanks to the constant improvement in the quality offered to users. Thus, one of the most highly-rated aspects was the network expansion carried out in recent years, which has involved constructing 80 new kilometres and 90 new stations. At present, the Madrid metro network serves 12 municipalities in the Madrid region, and 76% of its population has a metro station less than 600 metres away.

The most accessible metro system in the world

Madrid Metro’s commitment to becoming the world’s most accessible underground system is also recognised. Of the 292 stations that make up the network, 146 have lifts and 130 are equipped with facilities designed for people with reduced mobility. Madrid’s metro network has more lifts than any other metropolitan system in the world (466, nearly 500), and it also has the highest number of escalators (1,569).

The improvements in rolling stock maintenance have led to a reduction in the time spacing between trains, while at the same time ensuring greater reliability and a better service. Furthermore, the R+D projects in which Metro de Madrid actively collaborates with universities make the Madrid underground system one of the most technologically advanced.

The award also recognises Metro de Madrid’s commitment to sustainable development which has manifested itself in measures designed to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Exploitation of sunlight in stations and deceleration of escalators are just two examples of the effort being made to ensure optimal energy efficiency. Moreover, in an attempt to involve metro users in matters relating to environmental protection, Metro de Madrid has carried out a series of campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of the city’s sustainable development and to promote the use of public transport.

Metro extensions – Rivas Vaciamadrid

On 11 July 2008, the town of Rivas Futura saw the opening of its third Metro station. The new station will benefit both the inhabitants of Rivas and all those who travel to the housing and industrial estates and shopping and leisure areas located in and around the town.

With this new stop on line 9, the Regional Government has adapted the area’s communications to the new mobility needs of this municipality, which has undergone considerable demographic and economic growth in recent years. With this aim in mind, the Regional Government, through Metro de Madrid, has constructed a new intermediate station on the metropolitan line that serves Rivas-Vaciamadrid and Arganda del Rey.

The new Rivas station is totally accessible, includes green areas, lets in a significant amount of natural light and favours the circulation and renewal of air, all of which makes the station a pleasant place and considerably reduces energy consumption by taking advantage of natural resources. The station has a total surface area of 29,400m2, including nearly 3,400m2 of green areas.

The new station has cost nearly €16 million and will benefit 20,000 local citizens, along with the 25,000 daily users of line 9 between Puerta de Arganda and Arganda del Rey, a section that is now used by over 7 million people a year. In order to be able to adapt the supply of trains to the increase in demand, the station has been designed with 115 metre platforms to cater for six-car trains belonging to series 6000. Metro de Madrid plans to increase the number of trains by 15% to meet the expected increase in demand following the entry into service of this new station.

Metro extensions – La Fortuna

On 10 June 2008, the first Tunnel Boring Machine was started up for the drilling on 3.1km of tunnel to complete the project for a Metro station at La Fortuna – expected to be complete at the end of 2009.

The tunnel boring machine is the same as the one used on the extension of line 11 at Carabanchel Alto and on some Metrosur sections, and it has now been specially prepared to deal with the specific terrain at La Fortuna, which consists of sandy and clayey soils with variable resistance.

The tunnel boring machine, which will complete its work at the beginning of 2009, will start drilling from the working shaft next to the Cuatro Vientos depot, from where it will advance towards La Fortuna station and eventually link up with, under the M-40 and M-45, La Peseta station on line 11, in the Carabanchel PAU (urban development plan).

Features of this tunnel boring machine’s technical specifications include an excavation diameter of nearly 10 metres, 10 hydraulic drive motors, 315 cutting tools and a weight of 890 tonnes.

Together with the start-up of the tunnel boring machine, all necessary services and plant have also been diverted and the new station, located in the Serafín Antón Park, has been excavated at the same time. This structure is nearly finished. The Madrid Regional Government is going to allocate a total budget of €201.5 million to this project, including civil engineering and rolling stock, €40 million of which are provided by European funds.

Metro extensions – Las Rosas

Tendering has already commenced to invest €146.7 million in extending the Metro to Las Rosas. Work will begin at the end of 2008 and is expected to take two and a half years to complete.

The Madrid Regional Government has finished the project to extend line 2 of the Metro to the Las Rosas area and as a result has already called for tenders for work on this new initiative that will commence at the end of 2008.

The work to extend the underground to Las Rosas will mean the construction of more than 4.5km of line and four stations being located along the route to serve 65,000 inhabitants. The Regional Government is allocating €146.7 million to the building of this infrastructure.

A tunnel boring machine will be used to dig the tunnel, starting at the end of the route and finishing at the connection with the existing line, at the beginning. To achieve this aim, the working shaft from where drilling will commence is to be located in terrain situated beyond the M-40, next to the last of the four stations planned. The main advantage of this location is that it is in an area with no buildings, and the work will not involve any inconvenience for the area’s inhabitants.

All of the planned stations will have 90 metre long platforms and, in accordance with the same working policy that has become the norm in new infrastructure built by the Madrid Regional Government, will be fully accessible. This objective has avoided excessive depth, and the stations will be equipped with lifts and escalators. The 6000 model trains will also run on the new line, a feature of these being their high quality with respect to safety, comfort and speed.

Rolling Stock

Earlier in 2008, the Regional Government unveiled the newest trains to run on Line 6.

To gradually enter into service on Line 6 during the course of 2008, the new series 9000 trains will replace existing rolling stock and is one of the key measures included in the Madrid Regional Government’s ambitious plan for the modernisation of the underground network’s circular line.

The Madrid Regional Government aims to improve the capacity of this line, which is one of the underground network’s busiest in terms of demand, and which will have a total of 53 trains by the end of this term of office. The renewal of the current fleet of trains is a priority for Metro de Madrid, and there is no doubt that replacing the series 5000 cars currently in service with the new models will definitely improve operational service.

The acquisition of these first six trains represents an investment of €62 million, and their introduction will not only boost the line’s transport capacity, but also increase comfort, safety and accessibility for passengers. The new models are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and performance features.

The series 9000 trains incorporate a variety of systems – automatic protection and driving, video surveillance, video entertainment, driving and maintenance assistance, as well as fire protection equipment, black box and devices for evacuating passengers in tunnels.

Furthermore, in keeping with the regional government’s constant concern for safety and accessibility, the new series 9000 trains that will run on Line 6 will have more passenger-operated emergency devices, spaces reserved for wheelchair users, and a high colorimetric contrast accentuated by acoustic and illuminated signs.

Incorporating world class safety

Implementation of the most modern train signalling and traffic control system in the world is currently being installed on Metro Lines 1 and 6, which will allow it to increase passenger safety and capacity. This new technology, known as CBTC (Communication Based Train Control), is going to mean a major improvement in the quality of service offered by these two lines to the people of Madrid.

The Regional Government is going to invest €104 million in work to install this modern system, and the main advantages of the CBTC system include its capacity to reduce the minimum headway between trains and to increase the maximum number of trains that can operate on each line at the same time, thereby increasing passenger capacity, and all of this with higher safety levels.

The introduction of this system will provide three main advantages. On the one hand it will allow an increase in the number of passengers carried. In the case of Line 1, the aim is to increase the number of passengers per hour/direction from the current figure of 15,600 to nearly 23,500, which is 50% more. It is estimated that the increase for Line 6 could be 31.8%, which in terms of the number of passengers would mean more than 34,000 per hour/direction (this figure is currently 26,000).

The CBTC will also improve train frequency at peak times, reducing the current figure of nearly three minutes to little more than two minutes and ten seconds, which means an estimated reduction of between 24% and 31% with respect to current intervals. Finally, this system would increase the number of trains running by 31.8% in the case of Line 6, which would mean an increase from 44 at present to 58 in 2011 and, in the case of Line 1, this increase would be 50%, rising from 42 trains at present to 63.

The CBTC is a pioneering system that controls the exact positions and speeds of all trains running in real time, sending all of them the corresponding running and brake commands. This means a marked improvement in train frequency and higher running speeds, as well as an increase in overall safety levels.

This technology requires a powerful radio-communications and fibre optic network for installation, one that maintains permanent contact between trains, wayside equipment, computer and local control equipment and Control Centre systems.

This adaptation work has already commenced and in fact, 47 kilometres of wiring has already been laid in both tunnel directions, which amounts to 94 kilometres of leaky feeder. More than 200 kilometres of fibre optic cable have been laid, the necessary radio-electronic equipment is being installed in 93 six-car trains and, finally, the balises and radio equipment needed in tunnels and at 61 stations are being installed (33 on Line 1 and 28 on Line 6), together with new computer servers at the Control Centre to manage the whole system.

Latest track maintenance technology

On 3 June 2008, a new rail grinding train was presented, which will improve both infrastructure conditions and passenger comfort.

Metro de Madrid will use this new grinding train from now on, and with which the metropolitan company is incorporating the latest track maintenance technology. €6 million have been spent on this project, demonstrating that the company is continuing its quest to be at the forefront of technology and to further improve its maintenance efficiency by equipping itself with the safest, most advanced and most eco-friendly systems on the world railway market.

The use of the new vehicle will make it possible to achieve two fundamental aims: improving passenger comfort conditions, since it will reduce noise and vibrations when trains pass; and increasing the service life of rails by avoiding possible fractures, ensuring the safety of both users and workers.

This new vehicle works by means of a computer system and under the supervision of an operator. Its use makes it possible to remove the surface rail defects that appear with time as a result of trains passing, using a strictly controlled grinding or honing system together with sensors and computer applications. It also removes the wear that affects tracks on curved sections, thereby reducing the annoying noises and vibrations that occur when trains pass.