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More than 46,000 fans arrived at MADRING by Metro in just two days
More than 46,000 fans used the Metro de Madrid to reach MADRING during the first two days of the Gran Premio de España de Fórmula 1. The provisional figures from the Comunidad de Madrid record more than 21,000 travellers on Friday and another 25,000 on Saturday, before Sunday's race, which is expected to have the highest attendance.
Feria de Madrid station, on line 8, became the main Metro access point to the circuit located around IFEMA and Valdebebas. Mar de Cristal, where lines 4 and 8 meet, and Canillas, on L4, also served as secondary points for getting to the venue.
The transport plan was designed for an exceptional turnout. During peak hours, line 8 ran up to 14 trains with intervals of around three minutes. Six-car trains further increased the usual capacity of the line, while lines 4 and 5 added extra services.
The aim was to prevent spectators from relying on private vehicles to reach a circuit expecting more than 120,000 attendees on both Saturday and Sunday. The official plan estimated 124,784 people for the qualifying day and 134,367 for race day.
Metro was not the only option. The plan combined the underground with Cercanías, intercity buses, and five free EMT shuttle services. The latter deployed a fleet of 49 buses between points such as Metropolitano, Canillejas, Plaza de Castilla, Avenida de América, Feria de Madrid, and Valdebebas, with intervals of between four and seven minutes.
For those arriving from the north side of MADRING, Cercanías strengthened the connection with Valdebebas. On Saturday and Sunday, trains were scheduled every five minutes during peak times, with double-length trains to reach an approximate capacity of 15,000 passengers per hour.
The plan also aimed to reduce pressure on the roads surrounding the venue. On the first day, mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida stated that the M-40 and M-11 were seeing less traffic than usual for a Friday, although this figure referred to the start of the Gran Premio and does not, by itself, provide an overview of all three days.
The event required traffic restrictions around IFEMA and Valdebebas and the closure of various sections of Ribera del Sena, Vía de Dublín y Francisco Umbral, among other streets. Some of these disruptions will continue after the race while the temporary circuit facilities are dismantled.
The final figures will show how many spectators ultimately used the Metro over the three days and what percentage of the public chose public transport overall. For now, the available official data confirms more than 46,000 Metro journeys to the circuit before Sunday.