Madrid

In its obsessive effort to be Spain within Spain, Madrid now has a new festival: the April Fair

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It’s been a while since the April Fair It took flight to expand beyond (much beyond) Seville. Today they organize their own fairs with a profusion of flamenco and polka dots in Galicia, Catalonia, Castile and León either Cantabriaas well as in other countries, including other side of the ocean. The reason is very simple. Its mix of dance, gastronomy and culture is popular. So much so, in fact, that in Madrid they have decided to launch your own fair in a big way, with a multi-week event. Its objective is to expand by 200,000 m2 and attract 800,000 visitors. One word: Madrilucía. The name is a declaration of intentions. The objective of Madrilucia is to bring the spirit of the April Fair to the capital. In fact, its organizers they present it as “the first great Andalusian fair in Madrid”, with hundreds of booths, spaces dedicated to fashion, horse parades, gastronomy, music, culture… A little piece of the south spread throughout the capital. The event aspires to take up the witness of the fairs held between 1986 and 1995 at the initiative of Francisco de Paula López and which filled the Puerta de Alcalá or Gran Vía with horses, with carriages like those seen in Seville. López, a Sevillian who emigrated to Madrid in the early 70s, decided to promote a fair in the city to “unite the Andalusians” and overthrow clichés. The initiative even gave rise to a documentary broadcast by Canal Sur, ‘Operation Madrilucía’. One figure: 200,000. The Madrid fair will be organized in the Iberdrola Music (Villaverde, Madrid) and will occupy in total, according to those responsible, more than 200,000 square meters“an ephemeral town” made up of more than 400 booths. The offer is completed with “horses, tapas, concerts and flamenco fashion.” The space will in fact be divided into a “festive” area dedicated to live music, with booths and catering; another cultural one, in which stands dedicated to art, fashion and saddlery will be concentrated; and others focused on equestrian culture, gastronomy, leisure and music. Of course, reserve one of their booths it doesn’t come cheap: the Madrilucía website provides information on options that they range from 55,000 to 59,000 euros (plus VAT) per week, depending on the level of decoration. Go for 800,000. The Madrid fair will not overlap with that of Seville, scheduled for the week from April 21 to 26. Madrilucía will start almost immediately afterwards: on May 9. Those in charge already warn that it will be prolonged 20 days and the objective is to attract some 800,000 people until the first days of June. For now, it already has the support of popular figures, such as the bullfighter Sebastián Castella, who has dedicated a video to promote the event. Heads and tails. Although the organizers point out that they hope that the fair “coexist with the local environment”the neighboring Getafe City Council has already expressed its concern about the noise and overcrowding that the fair may generate. “If for a weekend like the Mad Cool or Regaetton Beach Festival the M45 and streets of the Marconi industrial estate in Villaverde are closed, affecting companies and workers, and access is prevented for residents of Getafe and Villaverde to get to their homes, what will be the device that the Madrid City Council and the Community intend to deploy for a fair that will last 20 days?” they pointed out recently to News for Municipalities from the Executive of Getafe, governed by the PSOE. Why is it important? Because beyond the event, its scope or impact on the environment, Madrilucía confirms the expansion (and popularity) of the April Fair beyond Seville and Andalusia. two years ago in fact we told you how a debate had spread on networks about the appropriate dress code to attend the fair or how virality of the hashtag #papagorda to show people who had overindulged in drinks at the fair led the Audiovisual Council of Andalusia (CAA) to warn of the risks to record without consent. Images |Madrilucia In Xataka | Seville wanted more security on its streets at night. To achieve this, he has recovered an old figure: the night watchman.

Madrid needs to build thousands of homes as soon as possible. So you are already testing prefabricated wooden modules

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A while ago (not so long ago) “prefabrication” and “wood” were words that took a back seat in the jargon of large construction companies. The prefabricated houses carried certain negative nuance and the wood sounded like a past material, more typical of other times than the era of concrete, steel and glass. Little by little that is changing and Madrid is the best example: as part of its policy to create affordable accommodation, the City Council has just inaugurated its first promotion built “in wood with prefabricated 3D modules.” And he already warns that he will not stay there. What has happened? That the Madrid City Council just opened a new promotion of affordable rental municipal housing. Fifty two- and three-bedroom apartments with storage rooms and 78 parking spaces. Until then, nothing out of this world. If the news is interesting it is because this work is not the same as others of the Municipal Housing and Land Company (EMVS). in words of the Consistory, it is “the first public housing development in Madrid built in wood with prefabricated 3D modules.” What exactly have they done? The work in question is called ‘Iberia Loreto 1’is located in the district of Barajas and has been carried out with an investment of 14.6 million euros. In total it includes 52 homes (16 with two bedrooms and the remaining 36 with three), as well as 78 parking spaces. Overall, the promotion is distributed in two blocks separated by a green area. The work stands out, however, more for its execution than for what it offers. Those responsible have resorted to “industrialized wood construction”; That is, they have used wooden modules previously created in a factory. Why is it important? Because with this bet, Madrid joins other developers who (inside and outside Spain, both in the public sphere and in the private sector) have been betting in recent years on that same strategy: industrialized construction. Australia has done itfor example, to shortcut your serious crisis of housing, and the model is also viewed with interest in Portugal either USA. In other countries, such as Japan, it is already fully settled. In Spain, data from the sector suggest that industrialized housing still has a reduced weightbut companies note a growing interest. In the Basque Country it is seen as a way to reinforce the offer and recently we told you how in Zaragoza they have raised a new hotel with prefabricated modules. Why’s that? Due to its advantages, something that is responsible for highlighting the Madrid City Council. The City Council recalls that Iberia Loreto 1 has been completed in less than a year and a half. 17 months have passed between the laying of the first stone and the completion of the work. In general, speed is one of the great assets of the industrialized modelwhich consists of manufacturing modules (more or less assembled) in a warehouse that are then moved to the construction site. It may seem like an unimportant change, but it implies that part of the work is done in the factories, not on the site itself, which helps to speed up the works, cut times and even reduce workplace accidents. At the end of the day, workers go from scaffolding to factories. “It does not eliminate occupational risks, but it does allow us to reduce them without giving up technical quality or architectural design,” they claim from The Concrete House. And what will Madrid do now? The Iberia Loreto 1 experience seems to have been good enough for the City Council to consider taking it further and continuing to support it. “After its success, the municipal company is going to take a decisive leap by promoting the construction of 800 homes developed with this system,” advance from the EMVS before insisting that the city “will continue to advance industrialized public construction.” “It allows us to shorten deadlines, reduce the environmental impact and offer more efficient homes.” How much do you want to build? Its objective is to raise more than 760 new industrialized public housing. 170 will be built in the districts of Barajas, Moncloa-Aravaca and Villa de Vallecas. The remaining ones will be deployed in Vilcálvaro (Los Ahijones and Los Berrocales) within the framework of the Suma Vivienda Plan, so they will be developed through a public-private collaboration formula. In total the Consistory assures that in 2026 work will begin on 2,500 new homes for affordable rental through EMVS. To be precise, it talks about 22 new developments in various districts of the capital and remembers the nearly 1,600 apartments in the first phase of the EMVS Suma Vivienda Plan. Images | Madrid City Council and Municipal Housing and Land Company In Xataka | The Government wants to put 1,600 public and affordable homes for rent. Rental Insurance wants to keep them

Ten years ago Beijing was an unbreathable city. Today its air quality is better than that of Madrid for a reason

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On December 8, 2015, schools were closed in Beijing. Construction stopped. Only a handful of cars could circulate on the streets. The atmosphere was unbreathable. We don’t say it, the city leaders said it at that time. As stated BBCit was the first time that the red alert due to contamination. In China, an action protocol with four levels had been launched to deal with this type of episode. That day marked a before and after. Just over a decade later, Beijing is one of the Chinese cities with the best air quality. The country still has a serious problem with pollution but the data show that the country’s capital has left those days of constant fog behind. And it has done so, in large part, by a huge investment in cleaning up transportation. Better air quality than Madrid That December 8, Beijing registered 291 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5ultrafine particles especially harmful to health. They are polluting emissions that can come from different sources but in whose production diesel engines intervene decisively. That’s why DGT environmental labeling that It is used in Spanish ZBEs discriminates (by age) between diesel vehicles and gasoline vehicles. Is 291 micrograms a lot? To get an idea, the WHO recommended At that time, it did not exceed 25 micrograms per cubic meter. Obviously, this pollution rate occurred on a specific day under specific circumstances, but the annual levels were so high that in 2013 they signed 89.5, as stated in Motorpassion. Last year, according to published data By the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, the city signed 27 micrograms per cubic meter of PM 2.5. A fact that improves the air breathed in Madrid, “which did not exceed 31 micrograms of PM 2.5” on average, in the words of the Madrid officials. The decline is absolutely spectacular and is marked by profound changes in mobility, lowering the 30 microgram barrier for the first time in its history per cubic meter on the annual average. In addition, 311 days of 2025 were classified within the parameters that point to the best air quality. For this, Beijing launched a campaign against pollution which became especially relevant a little over a decade ago, although it already took its first steps with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Days. It was not until 2013 when the city took serious measures. More than a million coal-fired boilers in the city were replaced with boilers that run on gas or electricity. The city added more than 600,000 new energy vehicles (electric or plug-in hybrids that generally operate in completely electric mode). But, above all, 1.9 million cars that were considered too old and polluting were taken off the road. Low emission zones had a key effect in achieving this. Then, the 6NI mechanical (which was equivalent to our Euro 6) to let vehicles pass or not. Automobiles that, in addition, had to stay at home alternately (discriminating by license plate) when high pollution episodes were activated. The evolution of Beijing has been so spectacular in the last 10 years that it is common to see it as an example for those most polluted cities, like New Delhi, in India. Photo | zhang kaiyv and Quique Olivar In Xataka | Tire pollution is as serious as engine pollution. This company says it has found the solution

Ouigo cancels services between Madrid, Seville and Malaga, with thousands of passengers affected

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Maybe you already had the ticket purchased and your suitcase half packed, or maybe you had taken advantage of one of the recent Pink Days by Ouigo to move between Madrid, Seville or Malaga at a particularly low price. Everything seemed to fall into place until, upon reviewing the trip or receiving a notification, the plan began to go awry without much visible explanation. Traveling at high speed is usually synonymous with predictability, but these days it has become a source of uncertainty for thousands of people. Ouigo has canceled several of its high-speed services during this month of January in the Madrid-Seville and Madrid-Málaga corridors, a decision that the company itself attributes to “operational reasons.” as explained to newspapers such as El País and the world. The cut affects eight daily services from Friday to Monday and six daily services from Tuesday to Thursday on those same routes. The problems would last until January 22, with an estimate of about 15,000 passengers affected. Ouigo’s message to those affected. According to the information provided by the company itself, affected passengers have been informed of the cancellations in advance and have received direct communications about the available options. In these notices, Ouigo proposes two main alternatives: change the ticket for free to another available service or cancel the trip. The company maintains that this decision has been made to guarantee the quality of service during the period affected by operational problems. Those who decide not to relocate their trip and opt for cancellation may also qualify for financial compensation. The amount of this compensation varies depending on the moment in which the cancellation was notified and is between 200% and 50% of the ticket price. The company defends that this scheme aims to cushion the impact of cancellations on travelers. In this framework, Ouigo adds that these compensations “go beyond what is legally required.” What the OCU says. In a statementthe OCU emphasizes that the refund of the ticket must be made by the same means of payment used in the purchase and that accepting a voucher is not mandatory, but a voluntary option. Furthermore, it points out that in certain cases those affected can claim additional compensation for the damages suffered, such as accommodation expenses already paid, lost reservations or tickets to shows that could not be attended, as long as they can prove it with documentation. If the traveler considers that the solution offered is not sufficient, the OCU reminds that there are formal mechanisms to complain to Ouigo. The organization explains that you can submit a complaint form directly on the company’s website, in addition to contacting its customer service by telephone. Specifically, Ouigo provides a toll-free number, +34 900 759 781, and another with a local rate, +34 911 674 583. Ouigo takes it away from you and Renfe gives it to you? Renfe moved quickly on two fronts that were very visible to the traveler. On the one hand, activated special AVLO trains in the Southern corridor to absorb part of the demand, with two additional services between Madrid and Seville, one at 12:00 p.m. and another at 5:17 p.m., both with tickets from 7 euros. On the other hand, he did not waste time telling it on social networks, where he launched direct messages to warn of those alternatives. The company has also indicated that it will reinforce the capacity of its trains if demand demands it in the coming days. Renfe messages in X No statement on Ouigo networks. Beyond the notifications received by those affected, there is a simple check that allows us to better understand the scope of the situation. When reviewing Ouigo’s website During the purchasing process, there is a lower supply of daily services on the Madrid-Seville and Madrid-Málaga corridors, especially on the dates affected by the cuts. On the other hand, according to our review, we have not located specific communications about these cancellations on the website or social networks of Ouigo in Spain (x, Facebook, instagram). What to do if I am one of those affected. The first thing is to check if we have received a cancellation notification and check exactly what affects our trip. From there, it is time to decide between a free ticket change or cancellation and confirm what compensation corresponds to each case. If the cancellation has generated other expenses, it is advisable to gather all the documentation as soon as possible to be able to make a claim and, if we need to travel on those dates, there is no choice but to check what alternatives are still available in the affected corridor. Images | OUIGO In Xataka | I have tried to buy one of the 7 euro Renfe tickets. And Renfe has done Renfe’s

Madrid and Catalonia are losing national population while gaining foreign population

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The latest data of the INE on population flows show a curious phenomenon (almost contradictory) in two of the most populated regions of the country: Community of Madrid and Catalonia. Although both maintain their capacity to attract emigrants from other countries, they have been losing already resident populations for some time. in favor of other autonomieswhich translates into an “internal” migratory balance in the red. In short: your migratory motor has two speeds. The big question is to what extent it is the result of housing cost. What has happened? that the latest data from the INE confirm that Madrid and Catalonia remain the favorite destinations for immigrants who decide to move to Spain, but at the same time both communities see how many of their own neighbors pack their bags to move to other regions neighbors, such as Castilla-La Mancha (case of Madrid) or the Valencian Community (case of Catalonia). The data is especially interesting if we take into account that they arrive with a residential market with skyrocketing prices. Community Total immigration balance SM Exterior indoor SM Andalusia 61,912 67,770 -5,858 Aragon 18,024 17,048 976 Asturias 14,225 10,340 3,885 Balearics 17,118 15,735 1,383 Canary Islands 27,770 27,331 439 Cantabria 5,977 5,051 926 Castile and León 26,407 24,316 2,091 Castile-La Mancha 27,746 23,819 3,927 Catalonia 122,593 129,030 -6,437 Valencian Community 115,742 104,776 10,966 Estremadura 4,008 5,096 -1,088 Galicia 30,325 27,730 2,595 Community of Madrid 100,971 113,964 -12,993 Murcia region 17,531 18,704 -1,173 Navarre 6,976 7,264 -288 The Basque Country 24,190 23,420 770 Rioja 3,906 2,998 908 Ceuta 217 416 -199 Melilla 630 1,460 -830 Is the trend so clear? Yes. It comes with taking a look at the tables of INE immigration balances to verify it. If we look at the balance of foreign migration (the difference between the population from other countries that moved to Spain and the Spanish population that settled in other nations), in 2034 the Catalan community registered a clearly positive result: +129,030 people. Things change when we talk about “internal migration”, which reflects population movements between the different Spanish communities, always within the country. In that case the balance left a negative result: -6,437. That is, there were 53,585 people from other regions who settled in Catalonia, but 60,022 Catalans who packed their bags to go to other autonomies. And in Madrid? The ‘photo’ It’s not very different. Its external migration balance showed a positive result of 113,964 people, but that of “internal migration” left a negative balance, with the loss of 12,993 residents. In 2024 there were 100,342 people from other communities who registered in one of the municipalities of Madrid, but 113,335 did exactly the opposite: they decided to pack their bags and change the capital for other regions. In fact, the Community of Madrid shows the worst internal migration balance (at least in net terms) in the country. Only Catalonia (-6,437) and Andalusia, which showed a negative balance of -5,858, come close (and by far). It’s not really a surprise. In May we told you how there are people from Madrid moving to Valladolid and taking the AVE every day to continue working in the capital. Can it go further? Yes. The INE allows you to go beyond the autonomous communities and obtain data at the municipal or even submunicipal level, by neighborhood. It is an interesting tool because it confirms how this double phenomenon is exacerbated in the two main cities of the country: Madrid and Barcelona. In the first (Madrid) the external migration balance was 73,959 people and the internal one was -18,722. In Barcelona these indicators marked +46,974 and -17,020, respectively. Valencia also presents a positive external balance and a negative internal balance, despite the fact that the community as a whole gained migration. Why is it interesting? Because population flows are not isolated phenomena. They occur in a context marked by multiple factors, among which is (especially if we talk about recent years) the increase in price of housing and an increase in ‘overcrowded homes’those in which people reside in overcrowded conditions. There are also another clear trend: the increase in certain migratory flows, such as those of Venezuelan origin, a phenomenon that is being felt in neighborhoods of all types of income. A recent study from Idealista confirms that Madrid and Barcelona are two of the most expensive cities in Spain. And he is not the only one. Photohouse calculate that Madrid and Catalonia are two of the regions with the most expensive second-hand housing in Spain, only surpassed by the Balearic Islands and (in the case of Catalonia) the Canary Islands and Euskadi. Does housing have that much influence? The INE study suggests this, especially because it appreciates differences within the municipalities themselves. “In some of the main cities it is observed that the most central districts are losing population, while the most remote ones are gaining it,” comments the organizationwhich cites several specific cases already confirm the trend: “In 2024 in Madrid, the subdistricts on the southeastern periphery were the ones that had the highest balance. In Barcelona and Valencia, those in the south were the ones that gained the most.” Of course more factors come into play. The Canary Islands or Balearic Islands, two regions very marked by rising housing prices and tourism, closed 2024 with a positive balance in both external and internal migration, just like the Basque Country. Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León also grew, receivers of a good part of the population that decided to leave the capital, and the Valencian Community, also a destination for internal migration from Barcelona. Images | Joshua Aguilar (Unsplash) and INE In Xataka | The silent surprise of Venezuelans: the number of immigrants has skyrocketed in Madrid, eclipsing Romanians and Moroccans

Every year thousands of Madrid residents go up to Puerto de Cotos to see something exceptional. And every year they get trapped

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For those of us who live in Madrid, Christmas has convinced us that there are issues that are completely unchanged from year to year. We know that the best thing we can do on the December long weekend is to flee the city (or at least the center), that going to Doña Manolita to buy a lottery ticket is almost impossible and that someone is going to be left stranded in Puerto de Cotos when the snow makes an appearance. Let the Civil Guard come! The day of marmot snow. Madrid has its favorite place to go to the snow in Puerto de Cotos. Those who grew up in Madrid are very likely to have launched a sled down the slope, taken their first steps on skis in Valdesquí or taken a broth for Sale Marcelino. And, above all, they have been snowed in, have been cold and had problems returning to the city. It doesn’t matter whether it’s public transportation or private transportation, every year Cotos collapses. The last time was yesterdayMonday, December 22, when hundreds of people sought refuge on buses to return to Madrid with temperatures below zero and snow accumulating. But the year doesn’t matter. In 2024 There were those who waited three hours to get on one of the buses that serve the port. In 2023 Cars piled up in the ditches. In 2021 Access had to be cut off and endless queues to get on the buses were repeated. In 2016 Dozens of hikers had to take shelter due to a sudden change in the intensity of the snowfall. It is clear that we could continue. Between the cold and the bus. Yesterday was one of those snow days that turn into a nightmare. One of those in which the Civil Guard has to intervene to control the situation. And the perfect storm occurred: snow in the mountains and a non-working day. Perfect situation to get stuck at the top of the mountain. This was how it was for the more than 200 visitors who saw a way not to return to the city, they collected in The Spanish Newspaper. At two degrees below zero, snowing and with the prospect of not being able to get on the bus, the Civil Guard had to go to the top of Cotos to bring order and control the chaos. In statements to Telecincoa user pointed out that she had been waiting since midday for more buses to board, as the driver had promised, but the volume of potential passengers continued to collapse public transportation. In the images you can see how a traffic jam completely collapses the only available bus. Click on the image to go to the original tweet Insufficient The big problem with the Cotos port is that it can be relatively easy to go up, but going down is another problem. And while the climb is staggered, on the way down there are crowds of passengers waiting to take refuge inside a bus that will take them down to the street. Buses in which you can only travel seated, just as one of the drivers claimed. And to get off the port on a daily day and with the Valdesquí station closed, the frequencies are very low. In those conditions only bus line 691 which connects the city of Madrid with the top of the port is available at 11:05, 16:35 and 18:35. The only alternative is to go up with a car and chains in the trunk in case the situation gets complicated. Click on the image to go to the original tweet And the train? Yes, indeed, Cercanías had a train that covered the climb to Cotos from the town of Cercedilla. It is line C9opened in the 1960s but has been completely closed for renovation works on infrastructure and trains since 2024. The reopening is not expected until the summer of 2026. As long as the deadlines are met. The Cercanías trains also used to be full when the snow arrived but they offered some guarantee to passengers. First because they could move a high volume of people (up to 220 passengers per trip) and second because you could buy the tickets in advance, thus reserving the place to go and return to the mountains. The bus alternative, however, has been scarce. With the train line closed, Renfe has only arranged five departures bus from Puerto de Cotos to Cercedilla where hikers can opt for another Cercanías train or intercity buses to return home. On daily days, Renfe had the same volume of trains but its capacity was greater. Foreseeable unforeseen. What is surprising is that these situations occur every year. And despite the fact that the AEMET had already warned of the arrival of snow and an increase in traffic to the Port of Cotos on a non-school day was foreseeable, the hikers found themselves with public transport that was clearly insufficient and without Civil Guard patrols to order the chaos. It seems evident that these situations occur exceptionally but the Madrid Transport Consortium (CRTM) shows that it does not have sufficient flexibility to guarantee the arrival and evacuation of those who go up to the Puerto de Cotos by public transport, with a clearly insufficient provision of buses for these days. And few alternatives. But, also, the other big problem that Madrid has is that the alternatives are minimal. The region has more than six million inhabitants but the options of visiting the snow for those who go to the Madrid mountains on time are minimal. And the thing is that Puerto de Cotos is located above 1,800 meters of altitude. Among the alternatives is the Port of Navafría or the Puerto de la Morcuera, which can be reached by road. However, getting there by public transport is nothing short of a pipe dream since there are no nearby towns the size of Navacerrada or Cercedilla with Renfe stations to get there quickly. Thus, a funnel is … Read more

Óscar Puente wants to connect Madrid and Barcelona in less than two hours. The fastest solution goes through China

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Last month we learned that the Ministry of Transport tendered for 2.3 million euros two studies that analyzed the possibility of increasing the speed in the Madrid-Barcelona corridor to 350 km/h. Minister Óscar Puente’s promise was to reduce the travel time between both cities to less than two hours. However, to achieve this it is not enough to improve the infrastructure. Rolling stock capable of running at those speeds is needed, and that is where the capacity of China’s trains comes into play. The problem is in the deadlines and prices. In Spain and Europe we have a large railway industry, although delivery times are reducing the local choice compared to other alternatives such as China. Deliveries are around 60 months and the prices offered by European manufacturers are higher. “Chinese manufacturers deliver trains at half the price within six months to two years,” counted Bridge to the SER Chain. Renfe urgently needs to renew its fleet, especially after the Avlo disaster in the Madrid-Barcelona corridor, and China seems the only viable alternative according to the searched criteria. China dominates global high speed. With 48,000 kilometers of high-speed roads compared to 4,000 in Spain, the Asian country leads the sector by far. Its star manufacturer, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, produces the Fuxing platform and has developed the CR450 prototype, capable of reaching 400 km/h. These trains already circulate in China at 450 km/h, although they would need adaptations to operate on the Spanish network. The minister and the president of Renfe, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, recently made a visit to the facilities of the Chinese giant to learn first-hand about its production capabilities. Europe looks askance the entry of china. The European Commission investigate CRRC for alleged state subsidies that would allow it to compete with artificially low prices, a case similar to that of Chinese electric vehicles. Bulgaria already tried to buy 20 trains from the Asian company for more than 600 million euros, but the investigation by the European organization forced the manufacturer to withdraw from the contest. Spain, however, is pressing to facilitate the entry of these trains or, failing that, to create an “Airbus model” that improves the competitiveness of the European railway industry. European alternatives are on the table. In addition to CRRC, Renfe is considering options such as Siemens’ Velaro Novo trains, which can reach 400 km/h but have yet to demonstrate mass production. There is also Hitachiwhose ETR-1000 is used by Iryo in Spain, although underused because the network does not allow speeds to exceed 300 km/h. Alstom, CAF and Talgo complete the list of candidates for the tenders that the public operator will launch at the beginning of 2026. It is estimated that each unit will cost around 27 million euros and that Spain will go to the European Investment Bank to finance the purchase. The infrastructure also needs changes. The studies They include new variants of access to Madrid and Barcelona, ​​a high-speed station in Parla with connection to Cercanías, another in El Prat de Llobregat linked to Rodalies, and a direct Lleida-Barcelona section that avoids passing through Camp de Tarragona. The current route is already designed to withstand 350 km/h, according to the Ministry, and Spanish Aerotraviesa technology will be used to allow these speeds without increasing maintenance costs. The renewal of the line will begin when the Madrid-Seville line ends. It remains to be seen whether Europe will allow it. Puente’s institutional trip to China has served to strengthen commercial ties and explore cooperation with the manufacturer. The Ministry of Transport defend that the country is “at a time of enormous expansion” of its railway network and needs quick solutions. And right now China is possibly the only country that can offer the material in the desired times. Cover image | Miguel In Xataka | In the race for autonomous driving, China is ready to literally take the next leap: L3

Madrid wants to convert its least used Metro line into the “Gran Diagonal”. A 1,000 million project without a clear end

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A line that connects the southwest of Madrid with the northeast of the city. A project to quadruple the extension of Madrid’s least used line with the aim of turning it into one of the city’s great arteries. We are talking about the expansion of line 11 of the Madrid Metro. In 1998, Madrid inaugurated a new Metro line. It had been 20 years since new lines had been launched in the capital and the project ended up being the first of the last major investment in the Madrid Metro that the Autonomous Community has made. until the reforms we are experiencing today. The work attracted attention due to its short length (only three stops at the beginning). Then Metrosur (Line 12) and the Light Metro lines (LM1, LM2 and LM3) would arrive. Except for LM1, all the aforementioned lines were longer than the new Line 11 whose 8.5 kilometers and seven stations were dwarfed by Line 12, with its 28 stations and more than 40 kilometers long. Now, Madrid wants to transform that line and make it one of the main axes of the Madrid underground. The numbers point high. From a “forgotten” line to the Great Diagonal Currently, line 11 of the Madrid Metro is, by far, the least used in the city. According to the company’s own report, there are only three lines that are below it but two of them are branches of main lines that far exceed the flow of line 11. Beyond the numbers on lines 7B and 9B, line 11 and its 10.8 million passengers per year they are located just above the Ópera-Príncipe Pío Branch, which moves 10 million passengers despite only having one stop at origin and another at destination, with a train that is round trip. However, Madrid wants the seven stations that currently make up line 11 to be the embryo of a gigantic line that is beginning to be known as the “Gran Diagonal.” The project, of course, has several phases but some of them are still up in the air and others do not have an execution date, although they do have a budget. Map of the expansion of line 11 At the moment, what is underway is the connection of the Plaza Elíptica station in Carabanchel with the Conde de Casal interchange. This link involves excavating more than six and a half kilometers and the creation of two stations: Comillas and Madrid Río. These will join the Plaza Elíptica station to the south and continue north with stops at the already existing Palos de la Frontera and Atocha, before reaching Conde de Casal. 514 million euros will be allocated for this section and although it was expected to be ready in 2026, everything indicates that the works will not finish until a year later and that It won’t be until 2028 when finally the new link will be available. In order to speed up the works, Madrid already has Mayrit readya tunnel boring machine from Germany that can drill 15 meters a day, compared to the two meters that are excavated a day if working only with a pick and shovel. In Xataka we have already talked of this tunnel boring machine that measures 98 meters long and weighs 1,500 tons. After arriving piece by piece, it has taken almost a whole month to be able to operate with it, since assembling it was quite a puzzle. complete at 27 meters depth. This will be the first section that aims to almost double the extension of line 11 and increase the number of people who pass through its trains by up to 75,000 daily passengers. This first section should become the heart of a line that is clear your future in the south. The expansion at this end plans to link the La Fortuna station with Cuatro Vientos, with just over two kilometers of track and an awarded budget of more than 75 million euros. But, at the moment, there are no execution dates for it. Where more doubts are being generated is in the north of the capital. From Conde de Casal to Mar de Cristal, the city will add its main stops to already built stations, specifically in Vinateros, La Elipa, Pueblo Nuevo and Arturo Soria. But it is from Mar de Cristal where the project, for which 600 million euros will be invested, has been changing. As can be seen in the map above, the project contemplated taking the line to the airport and later to a final stop called Valdebebas Norte. In elDiario.es They assure that Metro de Madrid retains the possibility of building a second station to double the latter. The opening, according 20Minutes It would therefore be staggered, coinciding with the three sections already mentioned. Once completed, Madrid line 11 will become one of the main routes to transport passengers. An approximate extension of 33.5 kilometers is expected (from just over eight kilometers currently) and 20 stations from the mere seven it currently has. All this with an expense of more than 1,100 million euros. Photo | Madrid Metro and Community of Madrid In Xataka | Faced with daily collapses, the Madrid Metro could increase frequencies or put in “pushers.” He has chosen the second

While Madrid becomes the “European Miami”, a group has grown to historic numbers: Venezuelans

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In the streets of Madrid every time it’s easier hear Latin American accents, but there is one in particular that stands out above the rest: Venezuelan. The number of Nicolás Maduro’s compatriots has skyrocketed in recent years in the community. So much so that the latest data from the INE show that they have already overcome the barrier of 200,000 peoplewell above the 120,400 of just five years ago. In fact, there are those who already refer to part of the capital as the “Little Caracas” or see one in Madrid “European Miami” which attracts immigrants of all kinds, including rich people who want to buy. The data shows that they are not wrong. The “Latin American” Madrid. That the Latin American population and specifically the Venezuelan has been growing for years in Madrid, it is nothing new. A year ago The Country revealed that the region had for the first time surpassed the symbolic figure of one million immigrants arriving from Hispanic America, a milestone achieved largely due to the increase in Venezuelans. Now the latest data from the INE They confirm that, far from reversing, the trend continues. And clearly. Community of Madrid Venezuelans Romanians Moroccans 2025 210,408 111,309 100,939 2024 184,387 115,911 98,360 2023 158,422 117,274 94,631 2022 130,779 123,834 92,563 2021 120,434 128,793 92,279 One figure: 210,408. The figures They speak for themselves. In 2021, the INE counted 120,434 people born in Venezuela in the Community of Madrid, the following year there were 130,779, in 2023 there were 158,422, in 2024 there were 184,387 and this year the figure has taken another rise until reaching 210,408. In short, a growth of almost 75% in a matter of five years. If we look back a little further and go to the last decade, the growth is even clearer. In 2020, 115,289 people born in Venezuela resided in the community, in 2019 there were 90,254 and in 2018 the indicator marked 66,421. A collective at the head. Beyond the percentages, there are two other approaches that demonstrate the extent to which the Venezuelan population has grown in the region in recent years. The first is that right now it is the most abundant foreign group in Madrid, significantly above the other most populous groups: Colombians (199,760), Peruvians (164,786), Ecuadorians (140,794), Romanians (111,309) and Moroccans (100,939). What’s more, The Confidential remember that Venezuelans in the region now exceed the sum of Romanians and Moroccans. The other clue is obtained by looking beyond Madrid and analyzing the Venezuelan diaspora in Spain as a whole. According to the INEIn our country there are 692,316 people born in Venezuela, of which 210,408 (almost a third) live in the Community of Madrid. The capital’s figure far exceeds that of any other region. In fact, the other two with the largest volume of population from Venezuela are the Canary Islands and Catalonia and in none of them do Venezuelans even reach 90,000 people. In Andalusia, there are barely more than 47,000. Year Population born in Venezuela registered in Spain 2025 692,316 2024 599,769 2023 518,918 2022 440,953 2021 411,996 One question: Why? At this point the big question is: Why? What is the reason for this migratory flow to Madrid? There are several factors at play. One (crucial) is the Venezuelan diasporathe volume of people who have left the country in search of better opportunities or as exiles. UNHCR estimates that 7.9 million of people have left Venezuela in search of protection or a better life. In 2024, Nicolás Maduro himself assured that between 2013 and 2023 2.5 million Venezuelans They emigrated from the country, although at that time he maintained that half (1.2) had returned between 2020 and 2023. The Trump factor. Beyond the dance of figures, the undeniable thing is that Spain has long been one of the main destinations of Venezuelans who choose to pack their bags as immigrants, refugees or asylum seekers. Years ago many of them headed to the US, but with Trump’s return to the White House “the American dream became a nightmare” for a large part of that diaspora refugee in the US, such as recognized in May Saray Díaz The Country. He knows well what he’s talking about. She is Venezuelan, she had resided in the US since 2024 thanks to a humanitarian permit and basically dedicated herself to cleaning houses. After Trump activated his policy anti-immigration Saray received an email from Department of Homeland Security inviting him to “leave” the US. A few days later he was on a flight to Barajas. It is not a unique case. During the first trimester 23,724 Venezuelans They requested asylum in Spain, a record. But… Why Madrid? That so many Venezuelans choose to settle in Spain and more specifically in Madrid is not a coincidence. Influences the open arms policy applied for yearsthe presence of relatives who have already migrated to Spain (this is, for example, the case of Saray, who had relatives here) to help them upon their arrival and of course the cultural ties with the country. Like other cities in the country, Madrid has also welcomed protests of critics of the Maduro regime and in defense of the opposition María Corina Machado. “There are several ingredients to take into account. The political and economic crisis in Venezuela is worsening. Trump’s immigration policies, together with a possible military intervention, with this situation of insecurity, also have an impact. And we must take into account that in other Latin American countries the entry of Venezuelans is being rejected,” comment to The Confidential Elisa Brey, expert in international migrations and professor at the Complutense University. “In Madrid there are already many Venezuelans and more arrive through contact and support networks.” Beyond the statistics. The influx of Latin Americans and specifically Venezuelans is felt beyond the statistics, in society, the economy and even in the residential market, as explained in 2024 the BBC network, which reminded that not only people in difficulties come to the capital. In fact, … Read more

Madrid had a plan to put all cars without a DGT label off the road in 2026. It has changed its mind

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In 2024 it was December 12. In 2025 it was December 11. 20 days after all cars without a label were prohibited from entering the city of Madrid, the capital’s City Council has once again confirmed that those who are registered in Madrid will be able to continue driving for another year. That is to say, like last yearwith less than three weeks left before the ban would exclude unlabeled cars registered in Madrid and those registered outside the city, the City Council has extended the extension that will allow them to continue circulating. So, who can and cannot circulate in Madrid? What does the great ZBE that is now Madrid look like? In September 2024, a figure began to move: 1.2 million cars circulating in Madrid were going to be left out if the ban on any car without an environmental label circulating in the capital was activated, as planned, in 2025. This figure was, as we contrast in Xatakafalse. Or inaccurate, at least. In reality, the Madrid City Council estimated that there were 246,000 vehicles that were going to be left out of circulation in the city. This year, The figure that had moved was 300,000 cars which does not seem real because it would imply that the vehicle fleet of gasoline with more than 25 years and diesel with more than 19 years has grown in the city in the last year. In fact, Borja Caravante, delegate of Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility, has assured that prohibiting the circulation of cars without environmental label of registered in Madrid would only affect about 14,000 or 15,000 vehicles, according to words collected by The Country. The Madrid City Council alleges, therefore, that the measure would have a “low impact” and that they therefore prefer to extend the exception to the rule. Whatever the vehicles may be, the truth is that if the ban were applied, no car without a label could circulate in the capital, regardless of whether or not the car is registered in the city. And the thing is, right now, the only cars without a label that can circulate in Madrid are those registered in the city. That is, it is not enough to reside in the capital, it is necessary that the car be registered in the city. If not, there is no possibility of moving with a car without a label except for few exceptions, such as going to a hotel in the city. In summary, right now there are two possibilities for cars without a label and they will remain active next year: If the car is registered in Madrid: it can circulate If the car is not registered in Madrid: it cannot circulate In addition, it must be taken into account that cars without a label (whether or not they are registered in the capital) cannot enter the Central District Special Protection Low Emission Zone (what was previously Central Madrid). Only cars with an environmental label can enter this space. Of these, in addition, the B and C labels have the obligation to park in a parking lot, so only the ECO and Zero emissions vehicles have total freedom of movement. If you want to know more details, in this Guide to know if your car will be able to circulate through the Madrid ZBE in 2026 We clarify all these concepts. Photo | Jordi Moncasi and NuKi Chikhladze In Xataka | The intrigue of cars with the DGT B label: what we know about whether or not they will be able to enter large cities

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