Overview
- The first of 48 new CAF-built six-car trainsets was presented at Cuatro Vientos and, according to regional officials, arrived in Madrid to begin tests after the July 13 presentation.
- This summer the unit will run night-time, no-passenger trials in manual mode with a driver on lines 10, 11 and 12 to check safety, dynamics and network integration before Line 6 testing.
- Metro de Madrid is installing CBTC signalling and hermetic platform screen doors at 28 Line 6 stations (about 70 platforms) as part of track and station works required for automated operation.
- Each 109-metre continuous unit omits a conventional cab while retaining two driving desks for manual moves; trains hold up to 1,385 passengers, can reach 110 km/h, cut electricity use by about 20% and will enable headways as short as two minutes.
- Authorities say no jobs will be lost: Metro has begun retraining (a programme for 117 workers) to redeploy drivers into management, supervision and customer roles while the full automated commercial service is targeted for 2027.