Madrid's Line 6 will run without drivers from late March 2027

One day soon, a Madrid Metro train will roll out of the tunnel and you'll notice nobody is at the front. That day has a date: the end of March. Line 6, the Circular, is the busiest line in the network, and it is about to become fully automated.

What's happening?

The Madrid region has bought 48 automatic trains, six cars each, for the line. About 25 will be running from the end of March, and the rest will join during the year.

The trains cruise at 70 km/h (they can reach 110) and carry up to 1,385 passengers. Trains should come no more than two minutes apart. The full 23.5 km loop will take 46 minutes instead of today's 54.

The line already carries 430,000 people a day, and it is being built to handle 70% more. If Line 6 fails, the whole network feels it, which is why officials call it "critical".

How are the tests going?

Night-time tests are under way. The first phase, between Cuatro Caminos and Lucero, is finished. A second one, between Arganzuela-Planetario and Ciudad Universitaria, has just begun. Five of the 48 trains are being used, and two cars are loaded with tonnes of concrete to mimic four passengers per square metre.

Platform doors are already in place at 56 of the line's 70 platforms. The rest should be done by the end of the year.

The gap between train and platform will be just 30 millimetres, with both at the same level. A wheelchair user can board without a ramp. On curved platforms, a "gap filler" keeps the space small.

What came before?

Metro de Madrid ordered the 48 trains in 2023. The regional government launched the modernisation works in 2024. The 40 new trains for Line 1 and the new Line 11 are also ready for automation. "Automation is here to stay," said Transport chief José María García Gómez.

What's next?

Full testing of the whole line is planned for January and February. In the second quarter of 2027, the Circular will also open on weekend nights. The launch is expected before the regional elections in May.