News
L6 closes between Sainz de Baranda and Laguna this weekend
Metro Line 6 faces a new closure this weekend that will force journeys across much of southern Madrid to be reorganised. Trains will stop running between Sainz de Baranda and Laguna on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August, with free buses covering the affected surface section.
The closure affects ten intermediate stations: Conde de Casal, Pacífico, Méndez Álvaro, Arganzuela-Planetario, Legazpi, Usera, Plaza Elíptica, Opañel, Oporto and Carpetana. Sainz de Baranda and Laguna will remain open because they will serve as termini and retain their connections with other lines and Cercanías.
To replace the Metro, EMT will launch the special S6 service, free of charge and with stops near all the closed stations. On Saturday it will run from 6.05 until 2.08 in the early morning, and on Sunday it will operate from 6.05 until 23.23.
Buses will run approximately every 8 or 10 minutes until 21:00. After that time, the frequency will be extended to around 10–13 minutes. When the S6 ends on Sunday night, the SC1 and SC2 lines will continue to offer alternatives to complete part of the journeys.
The interruption will make it possible to carry out intensively the transport, stockpiling and installation of the new platform doors. These structures will separate travellers from the tracks and are essential for preparing Line 6 for the planned automatic operation of trains in 2027.
The Circular is the most used line on the Madrid network, with an average of close to 400,000 passengers a day, and the closure will affect particularly important connections with lines 1, 3, 5, 9 and 11, as well as Cercanías at Méndez Álvaro and Laguna. For some journeys, avoiding the southern arc and seeking an alternative interchange may save time compared with the replacement bus.
This specific closure will end with the weekend. On Monday the 24th, the stations between Sainz de Baranda and Laguna will operate again, although Line 6 works will continue at other points: the section between Ciudad Universitaria and Argüelles remains closed until 2 September.
The effect will be felt especially in neighbourhoods such as Pacífico, Usera, Opañel, Oporto and Carpetana, where for two days the usual underground journey will move to the surface. On Monday, trains will return to this arc of the Circular, but the transformation of the L6 will remain visible while Madrid prepares its first automatic line.