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Madrid reduces the number of stations closed for the Pope's mass at Cibeles to seven
Madrid will need to pay closer attention to the Metro map during the visit of Pope León XIV. Although up to 15 stations were initially said to be affected, the Comunidad de Madrid has adjusted the plan and will limit the main closures on Sunday to seven stations around Cibeles, coinciding with the large mass.
The affected stations will be Retiro, Banco de España y Sevilla on line 2; Velázquez, Serrano y Colón on line 4; and Chueca on line 5. They will remain closed from the start of service until 14:00. Trains will run on those lines but will not stop at these stations while the restriction is in place.
The measure aims to manage the arrival of attendees at the mass and prevent crowds at the closest entrances to Cibeles. For those planning to travel through the centre on Sunday morning, the advice is clear: look for alternative stations, be prepared to walk a bit more, and check the service status before leaving.
The closure of stations does not mean Metro will operate with less capacity. On the contrary, the network will increase frequencies during the papal visit, with boosts of up to 125% on the busiest lines between 6 and 9 June. The goal is to accommodate both regular journeys and those of pilgrims and visitors.
On the night of 6 to 7 June, Metro will also extend its hours until 2:30 am to make it easier for people to leave the youth vigil. This reinforcement will be important for those travelling through plaza de Lima, Nuevos Ministerios and the Castellana axis, where there will also be closures, controls and changes to traffic flow.
The EMT will also be part of the plan. Municipal buses will be free from 3 to 9 June, along with Bicimad, although several routes will be diverted due to road closures at Cibeles, plaza de Lima and other areas linked to the Pope's agenda. In practice, travelling for free will not prevent some journeys from being slower than usual.
For those who do not need to travel through the centre, the most sensible option will be to avoid it during peak hours. And for those who work, live or have plans near Cibeles, Recoletos, Retiro or Colón, it is advisable to prepare a plan B. These days, it will not be enough to leave at your usual time and rely on your regular station.
The visit of León XIV will put something very everyday to the test: Madrid's ability to keep functioning when its centre changes the rules for a few hours. There will be more trains, more staff and more buses, but also barriers, stations where trains do not stop, and closed streets. The key will not just be to use public transport, but to know where it is best not to go.