The Community of Madrid has definitively approved the informative study of the northern section of Metro Line 11, so there is now the green light to continue with one of the most ambitious expansions of the network. The idea is that the new route will have six stations that connect Mar de Cristal with Valdebebas Norte, passing through points such as the Ifema fairgrounds, the Isabel Zendal Nursing Hospital and terminal 4 of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport. We’ll tell you how everything turns out.
Why it is important. Line 11 is the least used of the entire Metro network, so the Administration decided to give it a chance by taking advantage of it to expand it to more areas. The intention with this line is to turn it into a main artery that crosses Madrid from southwest to northeast, connecting areas with high demand for public transport and facilitating access to key venues and infrastructure such as the airport.
The project figures. According to account Europa Press, the base tender budget amounts to 599.3 million euros, not including VAT, and with a favorable environmental impact report. The intention is for work to begin in 2027 and continue for about three years and three months continuously. The section will include an 8.2 kilometer tunnel and connecting branches with Line 8 in Mar de Cristal, as well as with the future Barajas depots.
The six stops. Of the four alternatives that have been studied, the Community has selected the option which includes the following stations:
- Mar de Cristal, with connection to lines 4 and 8 under Arequipa Street.
- Ifema-Cárcavas, next to the expansion of the fairgrounds and close to the future Formula 1 circuit.
- Valdebebas/Ciudad de la Justicia Interchange, which will function as an intermodal node between Cercanías, buses and Metro.
- Isabel Zendal Nurse Hospital, 150 meters from the health center.
- Terminal 4 of the airport, with connection to Line 8 and close to the future High Speed station.
- Valdebebas Norte, located next to the planned Valdebebas Shopping shopping center.
Room to grow. The design maintains the possibility of build two additional stations in the future: one in the Cristalia area and another in Valdebebas, intended to serve the northeastern area of the neighborhood. The idea is to give the possibility of expanding the line as these areas develop at an urban level little by little.
How it will be excavated. Most of the tunnel It will be built using a tunnel boring machinedividing the work into two main sections. The first will advance from an attack well on Fernando Higueras Street towards Mar de Cristal, while the second will start from Secundino Zuazo Avenue. But not everything will go to a tunnel boring machine, since in some areas there will be no choice but to continue with pick and shovel to touch some urban elements as little as possible and reduce noise pollution during the construction phase.
Why the Line 11. Currently, it is the least used line on the network, with only seven stations that run through part of Carabanchel and Leganés. According to data of Metro de Madrid, its demand represents only 1.08% of the total network, well below Line 6, which is close to 25%. This extension is part of a broader plan that aims to transform L11 into a large diagonal of 33.5 kilometers that connects Cuatro Vientos with Valdebebas.
Status of the other sections. While this project progresses, the central section between Plaza Elíptica and Conde de Casal already exceeds 50% executionwith five stations planned and an investment close to 500 million euros. It is the opposite of the section between Conde de Casal and Hortaleza, with up to 14 stations planned, and which remains paralyzed waiting for the subsections of the line to be finally defined. Additionally, in the south, the 2.2 kilometer connection between La Fortuna and Cuatro Vientos is pending.
Neighborhood inequality. Like any work carried out in Madrid, there are contrasts and all kinds of opinions. According to collect elDiario, the distribution of the stations has generated some debate. While Valdebebas, with around 30,000 inhabitants, will receive several stops and is even contemplating expanding its coverage, neighborhoods like Las Águilas, with around 50,000 residents, have been left out of the southern route, causing neighborhood protests over inequality in access to public transport.
And now what. With the final approval of the informative study, the next step will be the bidding for the works, scheduled for the coming months. If the established deadlines are met, work would start in 2027 and the new connection could be operational around 2030.
Cover image | Community of Madrid
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