The original project

Despite the expansion of the horse tram network and its electrification between 1898 and 1906, in May 1914, when the city of Madrid was home to about 600,000 inhabitants, engineers Carlos Mendoza, Miguel Otamendi and Antonio González Echarte presented a new metro network project to the Ministry of Public Works. This would provide the city with four lines with a total length of about 14 km:.

1. • North-South Line, from Cuatro Caminos to Progreso (today Tirso de Molina).

2. • East-West Line, from Goya to Ferraz via Sol.

3. • Serrano Line, from Independencia to Diego de León.

4. • Boulevard Line, from Goya to Ferraz along the Boulevards.

Its route included the basis of what today are lines 1 "Line 1 (Madrid Metro)"), 2 "Line 2 (Madrid Metro)") and 4 "Line 4 (Madrid Metro)"), although they would later undergo important modifications. On September 19, 1916, the project was approved by Royal Order published on January 17, 1917,[4] works began in April of that year.

1917: work begins

Otamendi's initial calculations estimated the works of the first section (Cuatro Caminos - Progreso) at eight million pesetas: just over four million in infrastructure, another million in suprastructure, one million six hundred and forty thousand in rolling stock and garages, half a million in replacement of services, and the rest in the constitution of the company. Raising this sum proved to be a difficult task since many investors still did not consider that the project was necessary for the city.

The Bank of Vizcaya undertook to contribute 4 million pesetas on the condition that the other 4 were obtained first. The founders of the Company were able to raise 3 million from the Madrid public, having to turn to the King himself to contribute the missing million pesetas.[6]​ This investment also gave credibility to the project in the eyes of Madrid society, allowing the Company Metropolitano Alfonso to be established on January 24, 1917. XIII, named in honor of the king, with a capital of ten million pesetas.

The company's architect, Antonio Palacios, was in charge of carrying out the project and designing the stations, entrances, and company buildings, such as the Cuatro Caminos Garages.[7] Work began on April 23 of the same year. Due to the First World War, which shook Europe, it was necessary to buy the materials - which the Spanish industry did not have the capacity to produce - second-hand. The electric motors, for example, were purchased from the Paris Metro.

Shortly after the start of the works, in June 1917, it was proposed to modify the route between Gran Vía and Plaza de Chamberí, so that instead of going under Calle Hortaleza and Plaza de Alonso Martínez it began to run under Calle Fuencarral, Plaza de Bilbao and Calle Luchana. This modification would not be approved by the Ministry until February 1918.

1919: the inauguration

On October 17, 1919, Alfonso

The first line between Puerta del Sol and Cuatro Caminos, located within the limits of the city at that time and where the depots were located, had a total length of 3.48 km that passed through 8 stations. On October 31, the line opened to the public without intermediate stops, opening the Iglesia and Bilbao stations on November 14 and the others on the 18th of the same month. The new means of transportation was very successful, being used by more than 14 million users in its first year.

1920-26: initial growth and new lines

On December 26, 1921, the first extension of the line to Atocha (today Estación del Arte) was inaugurated, measuring 1.8 km and with two intermediate stops: Progreso (today Tirso de Molina) and Antón Martín. At the same time, the extension to Puente de Vallecas and the construction of the East-West line between Sol and Ventas are authorized.

The extension to Puente de Vallecas, with the intermediate stations of Menéndez Pelayo and Pacífico, came into service on May 4, 1923. A year later, on June 14, 1924, the first section of line 2 "Line 2 (Madrid Metro)") was inaugurated between Sol and Ventas, adding another 7 stations to the network.

The construction of line 2 continues with the opening of the Sol - Quevedo section on October 21, 1925 and the "Ramal (Madrid Metro)") Ópera - Norte Branch on December 26 of the same year. The Branch, which was not part of the 1917 project, was intended to bring the Northern station "Estación del Norte (Madrid)") closer to the city, which, being located next to the Manzanares valley "Manzanares (river)"), was difficult to access by pedestrian and tram.

In 1920, the first elevators, then paid, were installed on Sol and Gran Vía, and in 1921 the City Council proposed the creation of a round-trip ticket, which turned out to be widely used. With all these extensions, the length of the network quadruples from 3.5 to 14.6 km. Even so, the extensions do not exactly follow the path of the 1917 project, whose concession expired in 1928. At the beginning of this year, an extension was granted for another 11 years to build the remaining sections of the project.

Municipal opposition: the rod against the metro

The Metropolitan Alfonso The City Council, for its part, understood that it was competent to grant this type of concessions, filing in March 1917 a contentious-administrative appeal to the Supreme Court requesting the annulment of the concession. A year later, in March 1918, the court ruled in favor of the Ministry, maintaining the concession.

Despite this judicial setback, the City Council would continue facing the Company for a few more years, in a plot that the press would call the rod against the meter, a play on words with the command rod, a municipal symbol, and the Castilian rod, a unit of length equal to 0.84 meters. The City Council complained mainly about the occupation of public land without paying a fee for it, in addition to the accidents that occurred in open ditches.

The episode of greatest tension occurred in March 1922, when the municipal police prepared to stop the works on the Sol - Atocha section. Several agents from the Civil Guard and the government police had appeared at the pits, and when the municipal authorities arrived, they prevented the stoppage of the works and arrested the deputy mayor and some municipal police officers. The next day the mayor, the Marquis of Villabrágima, presented his resignation, being replaced by the Count of Valle de Súchil.[8]​.

1927-35: Foreign projects

During this decade, it was decided to look for expansion projects abroad, while at the same time a lot of mobile material was purchased, which forced the expansion of the Cuatro Caminos garages and workshops. On March 6, 1929, line 1 was extended to Tetuán with two other intermediate stations and on September 10 of the same year, line 2 was extended to Cuatro Caminos, connecting it with the depots and thus allowing the transfer of material between both lines.

After the king left the country in 1931 and the Second Republic was proclaimed, the Compañía Metropolitano Alfonso XIII changed its name to Company Metropolitano de Madrid. In addition, the Isabel II station changes its name to Ópera.

In July 1930, the construction of the Goya section "Goya Station (Madrid Metro)") - Diego de León was authorized as a branch of line 2, being inaugurated on September 17, 1932. This section, currently part of line 4 "Line 4 (Madrid Metro)"), was a modification of line 3 of the original 1927 project, in which it appeared under Serrano Street, going under the Torrijos street (today Conde de Peñalver). At the time, the construction of the branch under Velázquez Street from the Retiro station was tested, in which space was left for a third track that was never built.

Unlike the North Station Branch, the trains from Diego de León continued on line 2 to Cuatro Caminos, alternating the trains from Ventas and those from Diego de León.

1936-39: Civil War

During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) the Metro remained open, and regularly served as a refuge during bombings. Despite the war, on August 8, 1936, the first section of line 3 "Line 3 (Madrid Metro)") or the Barrios Bajos between Sol and Embajadores was inaugurated. Six days later, circulation on the Branch "Ramal (Madrid Metro)") was suspended because the area of ​​the North Station "Estación del Norte (Madrid)") was practically occupied by the war, so there were almost no passengers there.

In the following three years, Franco's troops besieged the city of Madrid and the operation of the metro was restarted almost without problems. During the fighting, trains transported both coffins and corpses to the cemeteries located to the east of the city. In turn, the Goya – Diego de León branch was closed and used as an arsenal. On January 10, 1938, a strong explosion took place at the Lista station due to poor management of the magazine that had been installed at the station, which caused around 180 deaths and numerous injuries.

During the civil war the Iglesia and Ópera stations changed their names to Sorolla and Fermín Galán, respectively. With the arrival of the Franco regime these changes were reversed and the Progreso, Príncipe de Vergara and Gran Vía stations changed their names to Tirso de Molina, General Mola and José Antonio.

1940-54: Completion of initial projects

At the beginning of 1940, the deadline for the 1917 project was extended again, as the Sol - Argüelles lines (which became part of line 2 to line 3) and Argüelles - Goya still had to be built. On July 15, 1941, the extension of line 3 to Argüelles was inaugurated and three years later, on March 23, 1944, line 4 between Argüelles and Goya was inaugurated. Thus, with several modifications and additional sections, the 1917 project was carried out. The network now reaches 25.6 km and 42 stations.

In the post-war years the Company experienced certain economic difficulties, motivated in part by the freezing of rates from 1939 to 1946 and the control of salaries by the State, despite the fact that the Company remained private. Added to the completion of the original project, this causes the expansion of the network to slow down, with only line 3 being extended from Embajadores to Delicias on March 25, 1949 and to Legazpi on March 1, 1951.

In December 1951, the Minister of Public Works made public a transportation development plan for the city of Madrid. Along with 50 km of new Metro lines, the construction of surface sections was proposed for the first time, that is, the so-called Cercanías, with a total length of the tracks being 60 km. The new suburban trains had to be used with trains similar to those used in the underground metro but with a much greater distance between stations (up to 2 km from an average of 500 meters) and on the surface. The only one of these projects that would see the light of day was the Carabanchel Suburban, whose concession was granted in 1951 to the City Council and acquired in 1953 by the Ministry of Public Works.

1955-66: Nationalization of infrastructure

Despite economic growth and considerable demographic development (during the 1950s the number of inhabitants went from 1.7 to 2.6 million), the Company's poor solvency and the City Council's inability to pay for the Suburban works prevented the expansion of the metro to the new neighborhoods of the city. Given this situation, on September 22, 1955, an Interministerial Commission promulgated the Decree-Law on the Shared Financing Regime of the Metropolitan Company of Madrid, according to which network expansions would be borne by the Government, with the Company being responsible for commercial exploitation, network maintenance and the purchase of rolling stock.

This new financing model makes it possible to undertake new expansions and unblock the works of the Suburban, whose first section opened to the public on February 4, 1961 between Plaza de España "Plaza de España Station (Madrid Metro)") and Carabanchel. This new transport shares some characteristics with the metro, such as track width and electrification, but running mainly on the surface through the Casa de Campo and using longer platforms, 90 meters compared to the 60 meters of the metro. As the concession is owned by the Ministry, the Suburban is managed by a state company independent of the metro and with different rates, although there was a combined ticket between both networks.

In parallel with the Suburban works, several extensions were carried out in the metro network, which between 1961 and 1964 reached Plaza de Castilla and Portazgo on line 1, Ciudad Lineal on line 2 (later, line 5), and Moncloa on line 3. In addition, on October 2, 1958, the Goya - Diego de León section was transferred from line 2 to line 4. allowing to face a possible extension towards the northeast of the city. The network already reaches 42 km and 68 stations.

Between 1961 and 1966 the 60 m platforms of line 1 "Line 1 (Madrid Metro)") were extended to 90 meters, allowing the circulation of six-car trains. On May 21, 1966, the Chamberí station closed, since being on a curve and a slope made it difficult to expand, in addition to the fact that it was just over 230 meters from the Iglesia "Iglesia (Madrid Metro)" station. To date, this has been the only station that has been closed in the entire Metro network.

1967-77: The expansion plan

The development plans published in 1951 could not be carried out, especially regarding the suburban areas. The plan drawn up in 1961 by the municipal administration is also left without a subsequent continuation. Line 5 "Line 5 (Madrid Metro)") is one of the few works being carried out: the first section, between Callao "Callao (Madrid Metro)") and Carabanchel, opened on June 5, 1968, opening the Callao - Ventas section on February 26, 1970. Line 5 was the last line to be built with a narrow gauge. Five months later, on July 20, the Ventas - Ciudad Lineal section was transferred from line 2 to line 5 and the Metro and Suburban fares were unified.

In 1967, the Government approved a new expansion plan that was revised in 1971 and that provided for the construction of several lines, which resemble the current lines 6 "Line 6 (Madrid Metro)"), 7 "Line 7 (Madrid Metro)"), 9 "Line 9 (Madrid Metro)") and 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") (the latter only in part). In order to cope with a demand that was expected to be greater than that of the existing network, the new lines were created with a wider gauge and longer, straighter platforms, and deeper tunnels to avoid the existing network. On March 26, 1973, the Diego de León - Alfonso

The beginning of the 1970s, according to the economic plan, were difficult for the Madrid Metro. In 1974, for the first time, the Metro went into deficit. Rates increase as the deficit increases, infrastructure begins to suffer over the years, becoming obsolete, and vandalism and dirt increase. Despite the opening of new lines, financed by the State, the number of passengers using the service decreases.

1978-85: The intervention period

The imbalance between the progressive increase in new constructions with the need for investments in superstructure equipment and rolling stock, the high operating costs and the insufficiency of rates, produce negative economic results that lead to a process of decapitalization. The Metro network then measured 64.3 km in length.

Faced with this situation, the State decides to intervene in the company. By Royal Decree-Law of June 7, 1978, the Government places control of the Metro in the hands of the Ministry of Transport and transfers the management of the company to an intervention council. On November 9, 1979, the Metro company was nationalized and became property of the City Council and the Provincial Council of Madrid. Nationalization made it possible to have more means to improve infrastructure and security measures, thus having a positive impact on the number of travelers.

The lines inaugurated in this new period mainly affect structures with wide gauge (lines 6, 8 and 9) that correspond to sections started previously and in accordance with the Metro Expansion Plan of 1967 and its revisions of 1971 and 1974. On January 4, 1979, another section of line 4, which reaches Esperanza, enters service. The Cuatro Caminos – Pacífico section "Pacific Station (Madrid Metro)"), the first link of the current Circular or line 6 "Line 6 (Madrid Metro)"), was inaugurated on October 11, 1979. On January 31, 1980, the trains of the new line 9 "Line 9 (Madrid Metro)") began to circulate for the first time between Sainz de Baranda and Pavones. Finally, on June 10, 1982, the first section of the old line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)") (currently part of line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") opened between Nuevos Ministerios and Fuencarral "Fuencarral Station (Madrid Metro)"). This line passed through the Santiago Bernabéu station (then called Lima), which opened three days before the start of the 1982 Soccer World Cup.

With the opening of the Plaza de Castilla "Plaza de Castilla (Madrid Metro)") – Herrera Oria "Herrera Oria (Madrid Metro)" section of line 9 "Line 9 (Madrid Metro)"), the Madrid Metro network reached a total length of 100 km on June 3, 1983. This section was initially a part of the rest of line 9 and was used as an isolated line, under the name line 9, until 1986, the year it was incorporated into the rest of the line. In 1986 the Community and the Madrid City Council assumed control of the metro.

1986-94: Public ownership

On December 16, 1985, the public law company of the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium was created, thus bringing together all public transport in the capital. On March 24, 1986, the Madrid City Council and the Community of Madrid decided to intervene in the Compañía Metropolitano de Madrid, terminating the Intervention Council of 1978 and creating a Board of Directors. On December 31, 1986, ownership of the metro was transferred to the Regional Transport Consortium with the capacity to expand it. In 1989, seventy years after the opening of the first line, the Metro company renamed itself Metro de Madrid S. A..

Starting in 1990, and within the "Action Plan for Madrid Public Transport", Line 1 was extended from Portazgo to Miguel Hernández with commissioning in April 1994, and the closure of line 6, now Circular, with the Laguna - Ciudad Universitaria section is projected, which will be completed in the following period. The Network extends, reaching a length of 114.4 km in April 1994.

In 1993 the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium established a new development plan much more ambitious than the previous ones. The objective was for each inhabitant to have a metro station a maximum of 600 meters away, a fact that was only met at that time for 70% of the population. What's more, the Cercanías network had to be modernized and developed to ensure a better connection with the Metro network.

1995-98: Madrid Railway Transport

In 1995 the Popular Party made the Metro one of its battlehorses for the elections to the Regional Parliament and obtained an absolute majority. He had promised to develop the network more quickly than the previous PSOE legislature had done until then. To limit expenses as much as possible, a new economic model was created. Responsibility for financing was transferred to the Arpegio company. As it was owned by the regional government, it had large capital reserves, which were provided as collateral to the banks. Since a quarter of the budget was allocated to a new Metro line, the price of the land increased rapidly, allowing a large part of the project to be financed. The work was coordinated by a project manager responsible for reporting directly to the regional parliament.

In this first term of Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón the metro became a great electoral asset. A stage of great projects began. Lines 8 and 11 were built, and lines 1, 4, 7, 9 and 10 were expanded to reach new neighborhoods in the city of Madrid and, for the first time, the Metro left from ring A to reach Arganda del Rey and Rivas-Vaciamadrid, an expansion that was carried out taking into account the hypothetical construction of an airport in Campo Real. At the end of this period, 37 stations and 57 kilometers were created, reaching a network of 171 kilometers and 158 stations. In this period, the new series of narrow gauge units 2000 (Burbujas) and the new wide gauge model 6000 for line 9 were incorporated.

In the 1995–1999 expansion plan, numerous new lines were created so that they exceeded 170 km and the vehicle fleet was renewed with the acquisition of new trains.

In May 1995, the Ciudad Universitaria section "Ciudad Universitaria (Madrid Metro)")–Laguna "Laguna (Madrid Metro)") closed the circle of line 6 "Line 6 (Madrid Metro)") to enter into closed operation as a circular line around the center of the city, with 500,000 daily users, passing through several of the most relevant and busiest stations in the entire city, in connection with many other metro lines. as well as with the Renfe Cercanías and bus stations such as Méndez Álvaro "Méndez Álvaro (Madrid Metro)") and Avenida de América "Avenida de América (Madrid Metro)"), along with the future Príncipe Pío "Príncipe Pío (Madrid Metro)"). It is without a doubt the line that supports the highest daily passenger traffic in the entire Metro Network. Only the Branch "Ramal (Madrid Metro)") ends at the Príncipe Pío station "Príncipe Pío (Madrid Metro)") and inside it houses a total of three metro lines in addition to two Cercanías lines, C-7 and C-10.

On January 22, 1998, line 10 was extended from Alonso Martínez "Alonso Martínez (Madrid Metro)") to Nuevos Ministerios "Nuevos Ministerios (Madrid Metro)"), connecting with line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)") to form line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)"). On June 14, 1998, King Juan Carlos inaugurated the line that leads to Madrid-Barajas Airport, that is, the current line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)"). On November 16 of the same year, the first section of line 11 "Line 11 (Madrid Metro)") comes into operation. On April 7, 1999, the Madrid Metro exceeded the city limits for the first time with the extension of line 9 "Line 9 (Madrid Metro)") to Arganda del Rey.

In the years 1998/1999, line 7 "Line 7 (Madrid Metro)") was expanded in four stages, multiplying its length by 2.5 and went from the status of an isolated antenna on the east-west line to being one of the most important in the network.

The expansion of the Madrid Metro was the most important public work in the second half of the 1990s in all of Europe, only surpassed on a global scale in size by the construction of the Seoul Metro. The costs of the work were relatively limited, with an average of 31 million euros per km (not counting the expense of acquiring railway equipment). As an example, it can be said that, at the same time, the Jubilee line extension in London had a cost per kilometer ten times higher. In the city of Madrid there were up to six tunnel boring machines in operation at the same time. One of them, from the Mitsubishi company, set a new record by drilling 792 m of tunnel in one month.

2000-03: Metrosur

During this legislature, the Metro was expanded to the five most important municipalities in the south of Madrid: Alcorcón, Fuenlabrada, Getafe, Leganés and Móstoles. Line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") was reformed and extended to Alcorcón, where it connects with the ring that unites the five municipalities, line 12 "Line 12 (Madrid Metro)"). To complete line 10, the gauge was changed, the platforms were widened and new units were acquired, after the extension and completion of the works on line 10 to Colonia Jardín "Colonia Jardín (Madrid Metro)") on October 22, 2002, line 5 "Line 5 (Madrid Metro)") integrates the Casa de Campo "Casa de Campo (Madrid Metro)" section. Madrid)")–Aluche "Aluche (Madrid Metro)") of the old Suburban. In 2002, the extension of line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)") to Nuevos Ministerios was inaugurated, to connect the center of Madrid with the airport in 12 minutes. The 8000 series trains were acquired for this line.

From January 2003 until the April elections, the extension of line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") from Colonia Jardín to Puerta del Sur was inaugurated, with the intermediate stations of Cuatro Vientos and Joaquín; and line 12 "Line 12 (Madrid Metro)"), which connects the most important municipalities in the south of Madrid. The El Casar Cercanías station was created next to the Metro station, since it did not exist, to facilitate transit between Metrosur and the Cercanías line C-3. After this expansion, the Metro network reached 227 kilometers and 190 stations.

The most notable and important moment and situation of the expansion plan was undoubtedly the inauguration on April 11, 2003 of 47 new kilometers in the Metro Network. This expansion entailed the extension of line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") to Puerta del Sur "Puerta del Sur (Madrid Metro)"), in Alcorcón, as well as the union of the main cities in the south of Madrid (Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe and Leganés) through the new Metrosur circular line.

2003-07: Metronorte, Metroeste and Metro Ligero

During the period 2003-2007, the most ambitious expansion plan of all those carried out in the History of the Metro to date was carried out, with the extension of nine of the thirteen lines to the outskirts of Madrid, the construction of three stations on already existing sections and the construction of three Light Metro lines (trains similar to trams that circulate on the surface). These expansions meant some eighty new kilometers and ninety new stations for the Metro network. Apart from the new constructions, line 3 was remodeled and equipped with 3000 series units, and 8000 and 9000 series trains were acquired for the wide gauge lines. The new Alstom Citadis trams were used for the Light Metro lines. For this project, nine tunnel boring machines were used and only the extension of line 2 "Line 2 (Madrid Metro)") to La Elipa was carried out by the traditional excavation method.

During the last months of 2006 and the beginning of 2007, the actions carried out in the Metro Expansion Plan 2003-2007 were inaugurated:

• - On November 24, 2006, the first kilometers were inaugurated, corresponding to the extension of line 5 "Line 5 (Madrid Metro)") to Alameda de Osuna, with another new station, El Capricho.

• - On December 18, line 11 "Line 11 (Madrid Metro)") was extended with the stations of San Francisco, Carabanchel Alto and La Peseta.

• - On December 22, the new station on line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)"), Aviación Española, opened to the public.

• - On January 15, 2007, the new stop on line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)"), Pinar del Rey, was inaugurated.

• - On January 26, the new Arganzuela-Planetario station, on line 6 "Line 6 (Madrid Metro)") was opened to the public.

• - On February 16, line 2 "Line 2 (Madrid Metro)") was extended with the new La Elipa station.

• - On March 30, the first section of the expansion of line 1 "Line 1 (Madrid Metro)") was opened, to Chamartín.

• - On April 11, the rest of said extension to Pinar de Chamartín was completed, along with the new section of line 4 "Line 4 (Madrid Metro)").

• - On April 21, the extension of line 3 "Line 3 (Madrid Metro)") from Legazpi to Villaverde Alto was opened to the public.

• - On April 26, the 11 new MetroNorte stations were inaugurated on line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") from Fuencarral "Fuencarral Station (Madrid Metro)") to Alcobendas and San Sebastián de los Reyes "San Sebastián de los Reyes (Spain)").

• - On May 3, line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)") was extended to T4 of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport.

• - On May 5, the MetroEste, the extension of line 7 "Line 7 (Madrid Metro)") to Coslada and San Fernando de Henares passing through the Olympic Village "Olympic Stadium Station (Madrid)") of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, was opened to the public.

2007-2011

Since 2007, work has continued on the Madrid Metro to repair faults and improve the service. Some lines were renovated but others showed signs of age, such as line 6, which was heavily used and suffered numerous delays and incidents. In January 2008, due to user complaints, the government of the Community of Madrid approved a plan to renew the trains on line 6.[9] During the Community's legislature (2007-2011), a profound remodeling was carried out to improve the line through, for example, the installation of a new lighting and signaling system, the renewal of its trains and also a new catenary "Catenaria (railway)").[10]​[11]​.

On March 12, 2009, shortly after nine thirty in the morning, a series 7000 train on this line derailed at Moncloa station without causing serious injuries, but causing the line to be cut at that point, from Argüelles to Ciudad Universitaria. The travelers were able to get out of the train on their own, the so-called "caterpillar" train because the entire vehicle was a continuous corridor, although there were some minor injuries and there were cases of nervous breakdowns due to the accident.[9]​[12][10]​ The service was restored almost a day later, at six in the morning on Wednesday, March 13. Meanwhile, an extraordinary EMT service was activated between the Puerta del Ángel and Metropolitano stations for those affected by the line cut.[12]​.

In addition to during the early mornings throughout the rest of the year,[11]​ in the summer of 2009, taking advantage of the lower passenger traffic, line 6 was also cut in several sections, progressively, to definitively improve the line. The cut began between Laguna and Legazpi on June 13. The cut by the new catenary was extended towards Nuevos Ministerios throughout the summer, although the stations at the other end of the work were also opening again. Line 6 returned to normal on September 14, as planned. The EMT launched a service for affected users of line 6.[13]​[14][15]​.

Since the beginning of 2008, the Madrid Metro organization was interested in the protective screens between the platform and the tracks, present in newer suburban trains, such as the one in Seville. The glass, which covers the entire platform, includes automated moving doors that open right at the train doors. The system has several advantages: safety (against accidents, falling objects or even suicides), the possibility of greater speed of trains and passenger traffic, and greater control of the air inside the network. On the other hand, they are high cost (close to a million euros per station) and, at the earliest, they would begin to operate in 2011. The screens, incomplete, will be tested in MetroSur stations due to the length of the platforms, 120 meters. The first, 55 m, was installed in San Nicasio (Leganés); another at the Hospital Severo Ochoa station (in July 2009); another in Casa del Reloj (in August) and the last in central Leganés (later). The companies in charge of the different models of the previous test stations are, respectively: Manusa, Knorr-Westinghouse, Faiveley Transport Ibérica and Sepsa-Oclap.[16]​.

2011-2015

On March 28, 2011, the route of Line 9 was extended to the north, which crosses the Mirasierra neighborhood, where a station was built in the last legislature, until it links with the Cercanías network, through another interchange station (Paco de Lucía) located between those of Pitis and Ramón y Cajal. The Paco de Lucía station was inaugurated on March 25, 2015, extending line 9 from the Mirasierra station by 1.4 kilometers.

Objectives achieved: Provide service to the Mirasierra neighborhood and extend Line 9 to the north to connect it with the Cercanías network. In this way, lines C-3, C-7 and C-8 can connect with the Metro network.

Municipalities served: Madrid, Fuencarral-El Pardo District, Mirasierra Neighborhood.

Beneficiary population: 50,000 inhabitants

Length: 2.9 km

Observations: Work awarded to the UTE FERROVIAL AGROMAN, S.A.- SACYR, S.A.U. in September 2009. Section 1 of the action to the Mirasierra station was inaugurated in March 2011.

Unmet objectives: new Torrejón de Ardoz-Madrid line (Phase 1).

The construction works of the new Torrejón line have been rescheduled, postponing the previous project.

The work will be resumed as soon as it is economically viable and justified by traveler demand.

A protocol has been signed between the President of the Community of Madrid and the Ministry of Public Works in order for ADIF to build a new suburban station east of Torrejón de Ardoz, in the Soto del Henares neighborhood (next to the Torrejón Hospital).

With this station Torrejón will have two commuter stations to provide better service. In parallel, the remodeling of the current Torrejón commuter station is being carried out by the General Directorate of Infrastructure.

The work in progress will mean a notable improvement in the station, both in the security systems that regulate rail traffic in the station and in the conditions under which passengers access the trains, through the execution of a new underpass that will connect the platform with the passenger building equipped with escalators and elevators, the widening of the platform to provide it with greater capacity and the modernization of the station lobby.

2015-2021

In the legislature between the years 2015-2019, only the Arroyofresno station on line 7 "Line 7 (Madrid Metro)") was opened, built in its entirety, with the exception of the accesses, in 1999. In July 2017, the tender for the accesses was authorized, for an amount of 8.7 million euros, being inaugurated on March 23, 2019.

On April 1, 2017, the box office service was eliminated. Instead, the workers at this place became supervisors.[17]​.

On October 31, 2017, magnetic paper tickets stopped being sold and, as of December 31, they were no longer valid. Instead, multi-cards, made of plastic, valid indefinitely as they are rechargeable, began to be used. If the user loses it, it costs €2.5 to get a new one. You can also recharge your transport pass.[18]​.

In July 2018, the contract was awarded for the drafting of the Project to expand line 11 of the Madrid Metro, by 6.5 km, from the Plaza Elíptica station to its connection with the Conde de Casal station. It is planned that there will be an interchange station with L3 and another connection station with L1 at Atocha Renfe that will also serve to connect with rail services. An interchange station with line 6 and the future bus station will be built in Conde de Casal. The possibility of adding two more intermediate stations to those already mentioned will also be studied, depending on demand studies.[19]​.

In the 2016-2020 Accessibility Plan, the installation of elevators was planned in 17 stations: Sol, Plaza Elíptica, Príncipe de Vergara, Príncipe Pío, Barrio de la Concepción, Portazgo, Bilbao, Gran Vía, Tribunal, Alonso Martínez, Avenida de América, Pavones, San Bernardo, Ventas, Begoña, Mendez Álvaro and Diego de León.[20]​.

Of these 17, only 10 were renovated: Sol,[21]​ Príncipe Pío,[22]​ Barrio de la Concepción,[23]​ Portazgo,[23]​ Pavones,[23]​ Plaza Elíptica,[24]​ Bilbao "Bilbao Station (Madrid Metro)"),[24]​ Court,[25]​ Príncipe de Vergara[26]​ and Gran Vía.

2021 onwards

On March 22, 2021, the renovation works at the Tribunal station were inaugurated, which becomes fully accessible, with 7 elevators.[27]​.

On July 5, 2021, the renovation works at the Príncipe de Vergara station were inaugurated, which becomes fully accessible, with 6 elevators.[28]​.

On July 16, 2021, the Gran Vía station reopened, after having been closed for more than 3 years for accessibility works and improvement of facilities. The station recovers a replica of the pavilion built by Antonio Palacios to enter the original station of the San Luis Network and incorporates new features of the metro network such as turnstiles and vending machines with a new design. The work was to have been completed in 2019, but was considerably delayed after finding the archaeological remains of the old station and due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the second floor, an exhibition has been created with the archaeological remains found, including an old coat of arms of the city of Madrid or beams from the old elevator.[29]​.

Currently, the Madrid metro reaches 294 km and 330 stations, reaching municipalities such as Alcorcón, Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe and Leganés or connecting the center of Madrid with the Madrid-Barajas Airport.

On April 21, 2025, the extension of line 3 "Line 3 (Madrid Metro)") from Villaverde Alto to El Casar station (Getafe) was inaugurated.

In the 2021-2028 Accessibility Plan, the installation of elevators was planned in 24 stations: Núñez de Balboa, Ibiza, Oporto, Menéndez Pelayo, Duque de Pastrana, Vicente Aleixandre, O'Donnell, Manuel Becerra, Cuzco, Santiago Bernabéu, Concha Espina, Cruz del Rayo, Pío XII, Ventilla, Barrio del Pilar, Herrera Oria, Artilleros, Estrella, García Noblejas, Bank of Spain, Acacias, Carabanchel, Alto de Extremadura and Ciudad Lineal.[30]​.

In November 2021, it was announced that at the beginning of 2022, installation work on 41 elevators would begin at the Begoña, Ventas, Avenida de América, San Bernardo and Diego de León stations, included in the 2016-2020 Accessibility Plan and which were ultimately not renewed before 2020.[31]​.

• - Future expansions of the Madrid Metro.

• - History of Puerta del Sol.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on History of the Madrid Metro.

• - Seventy years of History (1919-1989), published by Metro de Madrid. All historical information from this period and previous projects has been written based on this text except where otherwise indicated and some personal contributions from the article's editors.

The original project

Despite the expansion of the horse tram network and its electrification between 1898 and 1906, in May 1914, when the city of Madrid was home to about 600,000 inhabitants, engineers Carlos Mendoza, Miguel Otamendi and Antonio González Echarte presented a new metro network project to the Ministry of Public Works. This would provide the city with four lines with a total length of about 14 km:.

1. • North-South Line, from Cuatro Caminos to Progreso (today Tirso de Molina).

2. • East-West Line, from Goya to Ferraz via Sol.

3. • Serrano Line, from Independencia to Diego de León.

4. • Boulevard Line, from Goya to Ferraz along the Boulevards.

Its route included the basis of what today are lines 1 "Line 1 (Madrid Metro)"), 2 "Line 2 (Madrid Metro)") and 4 "Line 4 (Madrid Metro)"), although they would later undergo important modifications. On September 19, 1916, the project was approved by Royal Order published on January 17, 1917,[4] works began in April of that year.

1917: work begins

Otamendi's initial calculations estimated the works of the first section (Cuatro Caminos - Progreso) at eight million pesetas: just over four million in infrastructure, another million in suprastructure, one million six hundred and forty thousand in rolling stock and garages, half a million in replacement of services, and the rest in the constitution of the company. Raising this sum proved to be a difficult task since many investors still did not consider that the project was necessary for the city.

The Bank of Vizcaya undertook to contribute 4 million pesetas on the condition that the other 4 were obtained first. The founders of the Company were able to raise 3 million from the Madrid public, having to turn to the King himself to contribute the missing million pesetas.[6]​ This investment also gave credibility to the project in the eyes of Madrid society, allowing the Company Metropolitano Alfonso to be established on January 24, 1917. XIII, named in honor of the king, with a capital of ten million pesetas.

The company's architect, Antonio Palacios, was in charge of carrying out the project and designing the stations, entrances, and company buildings, such as the Cuatro Caminos Garages.[7] Work began on April 23 of the same year. Due to the First World War, which shook Europe, it was necessary to buy the materials - which the Spanish industry did not have the capacity to produce - second-hand. The electric motors, for example, were purchased from the Paris Metro.

Shortly after the start of the works, in June 1917, it was proposed to modify the route between Gran Vía and Plaza de Chamberí, so that instead of going under Calle Hortaleza and Plaza de Alonso Martínez it began to run under Calle Fuencarral, Plaza de Bilbao and Calle Luchana. This modification would not be approved by the Ministry until February 1918.

1919: the inauguration

On October 17, 1919, Alfonso

The first line between Puerta del Sol and Cuatro Caminos, located within the limits of the city at that time and where the depots were located, had a total length of 3.48 km that passed through 8 stations. On October 31, the line opened to the public without intermediate stops, opening the Iglesia and Bilbao stations on November 14 and the others on the 18th of the same month. The new means of transportation was very successful, being used by more than 14 million users in its first year.

1920-26: initial growth and new lines

On December 26, 1921, the first extension of the line to Atocha (today Estación del Arte) was inaugurated, measuring 1.8 km and with two intermediate stops: Progreso (today Tirso de Molina) and Antón Martín. At the same time, the extension to Puente de Vallecas and the construction of the East-West line between Sol and Ventas are authorized.

The extension to Puente de Vallecas, with the intermediate stations of Menéndez Pelayo and Pacífico, came into service on May 4, 1923. A year later, on June 14, 1924, the first section of line 2 "Line 2 (Madrid Metro)") was inaugurated between Sol and Ventas, adding another 7 stations to the network.

The construction of line 2 continues with the opening of the Sol - Quevedo section on October 21, 1925 and the "Ramal (Madrid Metro)") Ópera - Norte Branch on December 26 of the same year. The Branch, which was not part of the 1917 project, was intended to bring the Northern station "Estación del Norte (Madrid)") closer to the city, which, being located next to the Manzanares valley "Manzanares (river)"), was difficult to access by pedestrian and tram.

In 1920, the first elevators, then paid, were installed on Sol and Gran Vía, and in 1921 the City Council proposed the creation of a round-trip ticket, which turned out to be widely used. With all these extensions, the length of the network quadruples from 3.5 to 14.6 km. Even so, the extensions do not exactly follow the path of the 1917 project, whose concession expired in 1928. At the beginning of this year, an extension was granted for another 11 years to build the remaining sections of the project.

Municipal opposition: the rod against the metro

The Metropolitan Alfonso The City Council, for its part, understood that it was competent to grant this type of concessions, filing in March 1917 a contentious-administrative appeal to the Supreme Court requesting the annulment of the concession. A year later, in March 1918, the court ruled in favor of the Ministry, maintaining the concession.

Despite this judicial setback, the City Council would continue facing the Company for a few more years, in a plot that the press would call the rod against the meter, a play on words with the command rod, a municipal symbol, and the Castilian rod, a unit of length equal to 0.84 meters. The City Council complained mainly about the occupation of public land without paying a fee for it, in addition to the accidents that occurred in open ditches.

The episode of greatest tension occurred in March 1922, when the municipal police prepared to stop the works on the Sol - Atocha section. Several agents from the Civil Guard and the government police had appeared at the pits, and when the municipal authorities arrived, they prevented the stoppage of the works and arrested the deputy mayor and some municipal police officers. The next day the mayor, the Marquis of Villabrágima, presented his resignation, being replaced by the Count of Valle de Súchil.[8]​.

1927-35: Foreign projects

During this decade, it was decided to look for expansion projects abroad, while at the same time a lot of mobile material was purchased, which forced the expansion of the Cuatro Caminos garages and workshops. On March 6, 1929, line 1 was extended to Tetuán with two other intermediate stations and on September 10 of the same year, line 2 was extended to Cuatro Caminos, connecting it with the depots and thus allowing the transfer of material between both lines.

After the king left the country in 1931 and the Second Republic was proclaimed, the Compañía Metropolitano Alfonso XIII changed its name to Company Metropolitano de Madrid. In addition, the Isabel II station changes its name to Ópera.

In July 1930, the construction of the Goya section "Goya Station (Madrid Metro)") - Diego de León was authorized as a branch of line 2, being inaugurated on September 17, 1932. This section, currently part of line 4 "Line 4 (Madrid Metro)"), was a modification of line 3 of the original 1927 project, in which it appeared under Serrano Street, going under the Torrijos street (today Conde de Peñalver). At the time, the construction of the branch under Velázquez Street from the Retiro station was tested, in which space was left for a third track that was never built.

Unlike the North Station Branch, the trains from Diego de León continued on line 2 to Cuatro Caminos, alternating the trains from Ventas and those from Diego de León.

1936-39: Civil War

During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) the Metro remained open, and regularly served as a refuge during bombings. Despite the war, on August 8, 1936, the first section of line 3 "Line 3 (Madrid Metro)") or the Barrios Bajos between Sol and Embajadores was inaugurated. Six days later, circulation on the Branch "Ramal (Madrid Metro)") was suspended because the area of ​​the North Station "Estación del Norte (Madrid)") was practically occupied by the war, so there were almost no passengers there.

In the following three years, Franco's troops besieged the city of Madrid and the operation of the metro was restarted almost without problems. During the fighting, trains transported both coffins and corpses to the cemeteries located to the east of the city. In turn, the Goya – Diego de León branch was closed and used as an arsenal. On January 10, 1938, a strong explosion took place at the Lista station due to poor management of the magazine that had been installed at the station, which caused around 180 deaths and numerous injuries.

During the civil war the Iglesia and Ópera stations changed their names to Sorolla and Fermín Galán, respectively. With the arrival of the Franco regime these changes were reversed and the Progreso, Príncipe de Vergara and Gran Vía stations changed their names to Tirso de Molina, General Mola and José Antonio.

1940-54: Completion of initial projects

At the beginning of 1940, the deadline for the 1917 project was extended again, as the Sol - Argüelles lines (which became part of line 2 to line 3) and Argüelles - Goya still had to be built. On July 15, 1941, the extension of line 3 to Argüelles was inaugurated and three years later, on March 23, 1944, line 4 between Argüelles and Goya was inaugurated. Thus, with several modifications and additional sections, the 1917 project was carried out. The network now reaches 25.6 km and 42 stations.

In the post-war years the Company experienced certain economic difficulties, motivated in part by the freezing of rates from 1939 to 1946 and the control of salaries by the State, despite the fact that the Company remained private. Added to the completion of the original project, this causes the expansion of the network to slow down, with only line 3 being extended from Embajadores to Delicias on March 25, 1949 and to Legazpi on March 1, 1951.

In December 1951, the Minister of Public Works made public a transportation development plan for the city of Madrid. Along with 50 km of new Metro lines, the construction of surface sections was proposed for the first time, that is, the so-called Cercanías, with a total length of the tracks being 60 km. The new suburban trains had to be used with trains similar to those used in the underground metro but with a much greater distance between stations (up to 2 km from an average of 500 meters) and on the surface. The only one of these projects that would see the light of day was the Carabanchel Suburban, whose concession was granted in 1951 to the City Council and acquired in 1953 by the Ministry of Public Works.

1955-66: Nationalization of infrastructure

Despite economic growth and considerable demographic development (during the 1950s the number of inhabitants went from 1.7 to 2.6 million), the Company's poor solvency and the City Council's inability to pay for the Suburban works prevented the expansion of the metro to the new neighborhoods of the city. Given this situation, on September 22, 1955, an Interministerial Commission promulgated the Decree-Law on the Shared Financing Regime of the Metropolitan Company of Madrid, according to which network expansions would be borne by the Government, with the Company being responsible for commercial exploitation, network maintenance and the purchase of rolling stock.

This new financing model makes it possible to undertake new expansions and unblock the works of the Suburban, whose first section opened to the public on February 4, 1961 between Plaza de España "Plaza de España Station (Madrid Metro)") and Carabanchel. This new transport shares some characteristics with the metro, such as track width and electrification, but running mainly on the surface through the Casa de Campo and using longer platforms, 90 meters compared to the 60 meters of the metro. As the concession is owned by the Ministry, the Suburban is managed by a state company independent of the metro and with different rates, although there was a combined ticket between both networks.

In parallel with the Suburban works, several extensions were carried out in the metro network, which between 1961 and 1964 reached Plaza de Castilla and Portazgo on line 1, Ciudad Lineal on line 2 (later, line 5), and Moncloa on line 3. In addition, on October 2, 1958, the Goya - Diego de León section was transferred from line 2 to line 4. allowing to face a possible extension towards the northeast of the city. The network already reaches 42 km and 68 stations.

Between 1961 and 1966 the 60 m platforms of line 1 "Line 1 (Madrid Metro)") were extended to 90 meters, allowing the circulation of six-car trains. On May 21, 1966, the Chamberí station closed, since being on a curve and a slope made it difficult to expand, in addition to the fact that it was just over 230 meters from the Iglesia "Iglesia (Madrid Metro)" station. To date, this has been the only station that has been closed in the entire Metro network.

1967-77: The expansion plan

The development plans published in 1951 could not be carried out, especially regarding the suburban areas. The plan drawn up in 1961 by the municipal administration is also left without a subsequent continuation. Line 5 "Line 5 (Madrid Metro)") is one of the few works being carried out: the first section, between Callao "Callao (Madrid Metro)") and Carabanchel, opened on June 5, 1968, opening the Callao - Ventas section on February 26, 1970. Line 5 was the last line to be built with a narrow gauge. Five months later, on July 20, the Ventas - Ciudad Lineal section was transferred from line 2 to line 5 and the Metro and Suburban fares were unified.

In 1967, the Government approved a new expansion plan that was revised in 1971 and that provided for the construction of several lines, which resemble the current lines 6 "Line 6 (Madrid Metro)"), 7 "Line 7 (Madrid Metro)"), 9 "Line 9 (Madrid Metro)") and 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") (the latter only in part). In order to cope with a demand that was expected to be greater than that of the existing network, the new lines were created with a wider gauge and longer, straighter platforms, and deeper tunnels to avoid the existing network. On March 26, 1973, the Diego de León - Alfonso

The beginning of the 1970s, according to the economic plan, were difficult for the Madrid Metro. In 1974, for the first time, the Metro went into deficit. Rates increase as the deficit increases, infrastructure begins to suffer over the years, becoming obsolete, and vandalism and dirt increase. Despite the opening of new lines, financed by the State, the number of passengers using the service decreases.

1978-85: The intervention period

The imbalance between the progressive increase in new constructions with the need for investments in superstructure equipment and rolling stock, the high operating costs and the insufficiency of rates, produce negative economic results that lead to a process of decapitalization. The Metro network then measured 64.3 km in length.

Faced with this situation, the State decides to intervene in the company. By Royal Decree-Law of June 7, 1978, the Government places control of the Metro in the hands of the Ministry of Transport and transfers the management of the company to an intervention council. On November 9, 1979, the Metro company was nationalized and became property of the City Council and the Provincial Council of Madrid. Nationalization made it possible to have more means to improve infrastructure and security measures, thus having a positive impact on the number of travelers.

The lines inaugurated in this new period mainly affect structures with wide gauge (lines 6, 8 and 9) that correspond to sections started previously and in accordance with the Metro Expansion Plan of 1967 and its revisions of 1971 and 1974. On January 4, 1979, another section of line 4, which reaches Esperanza, enters service. The Cuatro Caminos – Pacífico section "Pacific Station (Madrid Metro)"), the first link of the current Circular or line 6 "Line 6 (Madrid Metro)"), was inaugurated on October 11, 1979. On January 31, 1980, the trains of the new line 9 "Line 9 (Madrid Metro)") began to circulate for the first time between Sainz de Baranda and Pavones. Finally, on June 10, 1982, the first section of the old line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)") (currently part of line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") opened between Nuevos Ministerios and Fuencarral "Fuencarral Station (Madrid Metro)"). This line passed through the Santiago Bernabéu station (then called Lima), which opened three days before the start of the 1982 Soccer World Cup.

With the opening of the Plaza de Castilla "Plaza de Castilla (Madrid Metro)") – Herrera Oria "Herrera Oria (Madrid Metro)" section of line 9 "Line 9 (Madrid Metro)"), the Madrid Metro network reached a total length of 100 km on June 3, 1983. This section was initially a part of the rest of line 9 and was used as an isolated line, under the name line 9, until 1986, the year it was incorporated into the rest of the line. In 1986 the Community and the Madrid City Council assumed control of the metro.

1986-94: Public ownership

On December 16, 1985, the public law company of the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium was created, thus bringing together all public transport in the capital. On March 24, 1986, the Madrid City Council and the Community of Madrid decided to intervene in the Compañía Metropolitano de Madrid, terminating the Intervention Council of 1978 and creating a Board of Directors. On December 31, 1986, ownership of the metro was transferred to the Regional Transport Consortium with the capacity to expand it. In 1989, seventy years after the opening of the first line, the Metro company renamed itself Metro de Madrid S. A..

Starting in 1990, and within the "Action Plan for Madrid Public Transport", Line 1 was extended from Portazgo to Miguel Hernández with commissioning in April 1994, and the closure of line 6, now Circular, with the Laguna - Ciudad Universitaria section is projected, which will be completed in the following period. The Network extends, reaching a length of 114.4 km in April 1994.

In 1993 the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium established a new development plan much more ambitious than the previous ones. The objective was for each inhabitant to have a metro station a maximum of 600 meters away, a fact that was only met at that time for 70% of the population. What's more, the Cercanías network had to be modernized and developed to ensure a better connection with the Metro network.

1995-98: Madrid Railway Transport

In 1995 the Popular Party made the Metro one of its battlehorses for the elections to the Regional Parliament and obtained an absolute majority. He had promised to develop the network more quickly than the previous PSOE legislature had done until then. To limit expenses as much as possible, a new economic model was created. Responsibility for financing was transferred to the Arpegio company. As it was owned by the regional government, it had large capital reserves, which were provided as collateral to the banks. Since a quarter of the budget was allocated to a new Metro line, the price of the land increased rapidly, allowing a large part of the project to be financed. The work was coordinated by a project manager responsible for reporting directly to the regional parliament.

In this first term of Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón the metro became a great electoral asset. A stage of great projects began. Lines 8 and 11 were built, and lines 1, 4, 7, 9 and 10 were expanded to reach new neighborhoods in the city of Madrid and, for the first time, the Metro left from ring A to reach Arganda del Rey and Rivas-Vaciamadrid, an expansion that was carried out taking into account the hypothetical construction of an airport in Campo Real. At the end of this period, 37 stations and 57 kilometers were created, reaching a network of 171 kilometers and 158 stations. In this period, the new series of narrow gauge units 2000 (Burbujas) and the new wide gauge model 6000 for line 9 were incorporated.

In the 1995–1999 expansion plan, numerous new lines were created so that they exceeded 170 km and the vehicle fleet was renewed with the acquisition of new trains.

In May 1995, the Ciudad Universitaria section "Ciudad Universitaria (Madrid Metro)")–Laguna "Laguna (Madrid Metro)") closed the circle of line 6 "Line 6 (Madrid Metro)") to enter into closed operation as a circular line around the center of the city, with 500,000 daily users, passing through several of the most relevant and busiest stations in the entire city, in connection with many other metro lines. as well as with the Renfe Cercanías and bus stations such as Méndez Álvaro "Méndez Álvaro (Madrid Metro)") and Avenida de América "Avenida de América (Madrid Metro)"), along with the future Príncipe Pío "Príncipe Pío (Madrid Metro)"). It is without a doubt the line that supports the highest daily passenger traffic in the entire Metro Network. Only the Branch "Ramal (Madrid Metro)") ends at the Príncipe Pío station "Príncipe Pío (Madrid Metro)") and inside it houses a total of three metro lines in addition to two Cercanías lines, C-7 and C-10.

On January 22, 1998, line 10 was extended from Alonso Martínez "Alonso Martínez (Madrid Metro)") to Nuevos Ministerios "Nuevos Ministerios (Madrid Metro)"), connecting with line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)") to form line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)"). On June 14, 1998, King Juan Carlos inaugurated the line that leads to Madrid-Barajas Airport, that is, the current line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)"). On November 16 of the same year, the first section of line 11 "Line 11 (Madrid Metro)") comes into operation. On April 7, 1999, the Madrid Metro exceeded the city limits for the first time with the extension of line 9 "Line 9 (Madrid Metro)") to Arganda del Rey.

In the years 1998/1999, line 7 "Line 7 (Madrid Metro)") was expanded in four stages, multiplying its length by 2.5 and went from the status of an isolated antenna on the east-west line to being one of the most important in the network.

The expansion of the Madrid Metro was the most important public work in the second half of the 1990s in all of Europe, only surpassed on a global scale in size by the construction of the Seoul Metro. The costs of the work were relatively limited, with an average of 31 million euros per km (not counting the expense of acquiring railway equipment). As an example, it can be said that, at the same time, the Jubilee line extension in London had a cost per kilometer ten times higher. In the city of Madrid there were up to six tunnel boring machines in operation at the same time. One of them, from the Mitsubishi company, set a new record by drilling 792 m of tunnel in one month.

2000-03: Metrosur

During this legislature, the Metro was expanded to the five most important municipalities in the south of Madrid: Alcorcón, Fuenlabrada, Getafe, Leganés and Móstoles. Line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") was reformed and extended to Alcorcón, where it connects with the ring that unites the five municipalities, line 12 "Line 12 (Madrid Metro)"). To complete line 10, the gauge was changed, the platforms were widened and new units were acquired, after the extension and completion of the works on line 10 to Colonia Jardín "Colonia Jardín (Madrid Metro)") on October 22, 2002, line 5 "Line 5 (Madrid Metro)") integrates the Casa de Campo "Casa de Campo (Madrid Metro)" section. Madrid)")–Aluche "Aluche (Madrid Metro)") of the old Suburban. In 2002, the extension of line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)") to Nuevos Ministerios was inaugurated, to connect the center of Madrid with the airport in 12 minutes. The 8000 series trains were acquired for this line.

From January 2003 until the April elections, the extension of line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") from Colonia Jardín to Puerta del Sur was inaugurated, with the intermediate stations of Cuatro Vientos and Joaquín; and line 12 "Line 12 (Madrid Metro)"), which connects the most important municipalities in the south of Madrid. The El Casar Cercanías station was created next to the Metro station, since it did not exist, to facilitate transit between Metrosur and the Cercanías line C-3. After this expansion, the Metro network reached 227 kilometers and 190 stations.

The most notable and important moment and situation of the expansion plan was undoubtedly the inauguration on April 11, 2003 of 47 new kilometers in the Metro Network. This expansion entailed the extension of line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") to Puerta del Sur "Puerta del Sur (Madrid Metro)"), in Alcorcón, as well as the union of the main cities in the south of Madrid (Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe and Leganés) through the new Metrosur circular line.

2003-07: Metronorte, Metroeste and Metro Ligero

During the period 2003-2007, the most ambitious expansion plan of all those carried out in the History of the Metro to date was carried out, with the extension of nine of the thirteen lines to the outskirts of Madrid, the construction of three stations on already existing sections and the construction of three Light Metro lines (trains similar to trams that circulate on the surface). These expansions meant some eighty new kilometers and ninety new stations for the Metro network. Apart from the new constructions, line 3 was remodeled and equipped with 3000 series units, and 8000 and 9000 series trains were acquired for the wide gauge lines. The new Alstom Citadis trams were used for the Light Metro lines. For this project, nine tunnel boring machines were used and only the extension of line 2 "Line 2 (Madrid Metro)") to La Elipa was carried out by the traditional excavation method.

During the last months of 2006 and the beginning of 2007, the actions carried out in the Metro Expansion Plan 2003-2007 were inaugurated:

• - On November 24, 2006, the first kilometers were inaugurated, corresponding to the extension of line 5 "Line 5 (Madrid Metro)") to Alameda de Osuna, with another new station, El Capricho.

• - On December 18, line 11 "Line 11 (Madrid Metro)") was extended with the stations of San Francisco, Carabanchel Alto and La Peseta.

• - On December 22, the new station on line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)"), Aviación Española, opened to the public.

• - On January 15, 2007, the new stop on line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)"), Pinar del Rey, was inaugurated.

• - On January 26, the new Arganzuela-Planetario station, on line 6 "Line 6 (Madrid Metro)") was opened to the public.

• - On February 16, line 2 "Line 2 (Madrid Metro)") was extended with the new La Elipa station.

• - On March 30, the first section of the expansion of line 1 "Line 1 (Madrid Metro)") was opened, to Chamartín.

• - On April 11, the rest of said extension to Pinar de Chamartín was completed, along with the new section of line 4 "Line 4 (Madrid Metro)").

• - On April 21, the extension of line 3 "Line 3 (Madrid Metro)") from Legazpi to Villaverde Alto was opened to the public.

• - On April 26, the 11 new MetroNorte stations were inaugurated on line 10 "Line 10 (Madrid Metro)") from Fuencarral "Fuencarral Station (Madrid Metro)") to Alcobendas and San Sebastián de los Reyes "San Sebastián de los Reyes (Spain)").

• - On May 3, line 8 "Line 8 (Madrid Metro)") was extended to T4 of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport.

• - On May 5, the MetroEste, the extension of line 7 "Line 7 (Madrid Metro)") to Coslada and San Fernando de Henares passing through the Olympic Village "Olympic Stadium Station (Madrid)") of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, was opened to the public.

2007-2011

Since 2007, work has continued on the Madrid Metro to repair faults and improve the service. Some lines were renovated but others showed signs of age, such as line 6, which was heavily used and suffered numerous delays and incidents. In January 2008, due to user complaints, the government of the Community of Madrid approved a plan to renew the trains on line 6.[9] During the Community's legislature (2007-2011), a profound remodeling was carried out to improve the line through, for example, the installation of a new lighting and signaling system, the renewal of its trains and also a new catenary "Catenaria (railway)").[10]​[11]​.

On March 12, 2009, shortly after nine thirty in the morning, a series 7000 train on this line derailed at Moncloa station without causing serious injuries, but causing the line to be cut at that point, from Argüelles to Ciudad Universitaria. The travelers were able to get out of the train on their own, the so-called "caterpillar" train because the entire vehicle was a continuous corridor, although there were some minor injuries and there were cases of nervous breakdowns due to the accident.[9]​[12][10]​ The service was restored almost a day later, at six in the morning on Wednesday, March 13. Meanwhile, an extraordinary EMT service was activated between the Puerta del Ángel and Metropolitano stations for those affected by the line cut.[12]​.

In addition to during the early mornings throughout the rest of the year,[11]​ in the summer of 2009, taking advantage of the lower passenger traffic, line 6 was also cut in several sections, progressively, to definitively improve the line. The cut began between Laguna and Legazpi on June 13. The cut by the new catenary was extended towards Nuevos Ministerios throughout the summer, although the stations at the other end of the work were also opening again. Line 6 returned to normal on September 14, as planned. The EMT launched a service for affected users of line 6.[13]​[14][15]​.

Since the beginning of 2008, the Madrid Metro organization was interested in the protective screens between the platform and the tracks, present in newer suburban trains, such as the one in Seville. The glass, which covers the entire platform, includes automated moving doors that open right at the train doors. The system has several advantages: safety (against accidents, falling objects or even suicides), the possibility of greater speed of trains and passenger traffic, and greater control of the air inside the network. On the other hand, they are high cost (close to a million euros per station) and, at the earliest, they would begin to operate in 2011. The screens, incomplete, will be tested in MetroSur stations due to the length of the platforms, 120 meters. The first, 55 m, was installed in San Nicasio (Leganés); another at the Hospital Severo Ochoa station (in July 2009); another in Casa del Reloj (in August) and the last in central Leganés (later). The companies in charge of the different models of the previous test stations are, respectively: Manusa, Knorr-Westinghouse, Faiveley Transport Ibérica and Sepsa-Oclap.[16]​.

2011-2015

On March 28, 2011, the route of Line 9 was extended to the north, which crosses the Mirasierra neighborhood, where a station was built in the last legislature, until it links with the Cercanías network, through another interchange station (Paco de Lucía) located between those of Pitis and Ramón y Cajal. The Paco de Lucía station was inaugurated on March 25, 2015, extending line 9 from the Mirasierra station by 1.4 kilometers.

Objectives achieved: Provide service to the Mirasierra neighborhood and extend Line 9 to the north to connect it with the Cercanías network. In this way, lines C-3, C-7 and C-8 can connect with the Metro network.

Municipalities served: Madrid, Fuencarral-El Pardo District, Mirasierra Neighborhood.

Beneficiary population: 50,000 inhabitants

Length: 2.9 km

Observations: Work awarded to the UTE FERROVIAL AGROMAN, S.A.- SACYR, S.A.U. in September 2009. Section 1 of the action to the Mirasierra station was inaugurated in March 2011.

Unmet objectives: new Torrejón de Ardoz-Madrid line (Phase 1).

The construction works of the new Torrejón line have been rescheduled, postponing the previous project.

The work will be resumed as soon as it is economically viable and justified by traveler demand.

A protocol has been signed between the President of the Community of Madrid and the Ministry of Public Works in order for ADIF to build a new suburban station east of Torrejón de Ardoz, in the Soto del Henares neighborhood (next to the Torrejón Hospital).

With this station Torrejón will have two commuter stations to provide better service. In parallel, the remodeling of the current Torrejón commuter station is being carried out by the General Directorate of Infrastructure.

The work in progress will mean a notable improvement in the station, both in the security systems that regulate rail traffic in the station and in the conditions under which passengers access the trains, through the execution of a new underpass that will connect the platform with the passenger building equipped with escalators and elevators, the widening of the platform to provide it with greater capacity and the modernization of the station lobby.

2015-2021

In the legislature between the years 2015-2019, only the Arroyofresno station on line 7 "Line 7 (Madrid Metro)") was opened, built in its entirety, with the exception of the accesses, in 1999. In July 2017, the tender for the accesses was authorized, for an amount of 8.7 million euros, being inaugurated on March 23, 2019.

On April 1, 2017, the box office service was eliminated. Instead, the workers at this place became supervisors.[17]​.

On October 31, 2017, magnetic paper tickets stopped being sold and, as of December 31, they were no longer valid. Instead, multi-cards, made of plastic, valid indefinitely as they are rechargeable, began to be used. If the user loses it, it costs €2.5 to get a new one. You can also recharge your transport pass.[18]​.

In July 2018, the contract was awarded for the drafting of the Project to expand line 11 of the Madrid Metro, by 6.5 km, from the Plaza Elíptica station to its connection with the Conde de Casal station. It is planned that there will be an interchange station with L3 and another connection station with L1 at Atocha Renfe that will also serve to connect with rail services. An interchange station with line 6 and the future bus station will be built in Conde de Casal. The possibility of adding two more intermediate stations to those already mentioned will also be studied, depending on demand studies.[19]​.

In the 2016-2020 Accessibility Plan, the installation of elevators was planned in 17 stations: Sol, Plaza Elíptica, Príncipe de Vergara, Príncipe Pío, Barrio de la Concepción, Portazgo, Bilbao, Gran Vía, Tribunal, Alonso Martínez, Avenida de América, Pavones, San Bernardo, Ventas, Begoña, Mendez Álvaro and Diego de León.[20]​.

Of these 17, only 10 were renovated: Sol,[21]​ Príncipe Pío,[22]​ Barrio de la Concepción,[23]​ Portazgo,[23]​ Pavones,[23]​ Plaza Elíptica,[24]​ Bilbao "Bilbao Station (Madrid Metro)"),[24]​ Court,[25]​ Príncipe de Vergara[26]​ and Gran Vía.

2021 onwards

On March 22, 2021, the renovation works at the Tribunal station were inaugurated, which becomes fully accessible, with 7 elevators.[27]​.

On July 5, 2021, the renovation works at the Príncipe de Vergara station were inaugurated, which becomes fully accessible, with 6 elevators.[28]​.

On July 16, 2021, the Gran Vía station reopened, after having been closed for more than 3 years for accessibility works and improvement of facilities. The station recovers a replica of the pavilion built by Antonio Palacios to enter the original station of the San Luis Network and incorporates new features of the metro network such as turnstiles and vending machines with a new design. The work was to have been completed in 2019, but was considerably delayed after finding the archaeological remains of the old station and due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the second floor, an exhibition has been created with the archaeological remains found, including an old coat of arms of the city of Madrid or beams from the old elevator.[29]​.

Currently, the Madrid metro reaches 294 km and 330 stations, reaching municipalities such as Alcorcón, Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe and Leganés or connecting the center of Madrid with the Madrid-Barajas Airport.

On April 21, 2025, the extension of line 3 "Line 3 (Madrid Metro)") from Villaverde Alto to El Casar station (Getafe) was inaugurated.

In the 2021-2028 Accessibility Plan, the installation of elevators was planned in 24 stations: Núñez de Balboa, Ibiza, Oporto, Menéndez Pelayo, Duque de Pastrana, Vicente Aleixandre, O'Donnell, Manuel Becerra, Cuzco, Santiago Bernabéu, Concha Espina, Cruz del Rayo, Pío XII, Ventilla, Barrio del Pilar, Herrera Oria, Artilleros, Estrella, García Noblejas, Bank of Spain, Acacias, Carabanchel, Alto de Extremadura and Ciudad Lineal.[30]​.

In November 2021, it was announced that at the beginning of 2022, installation work on 41 elevators would begin at the Begoña, Ventas, Avenida de América, San Bernardo and Diego de León stations, included in the 2016-2020 Accessibility Plan and which were ultimately not renewed before 2020.[31]​.

• - Future expansions of the Madrid Metro.

• - History of Puerta del Sol.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on History of the Madrid Metro.

• - Seventy years of History (1919-1989), published by Metro de Madrid. All historical information from this period and previous projects has been written based on this text except where otherwise indicated and some personal contributions from the article's editors.