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Up to 15 Metro stations will close for the Pope’s visit to Madrid
Madrid will not only have traffic restrictions during Pope Leo XIV’s visit. The Metro will also change its operation from 6 to 9 June, with major additional train services and temporary station closures at the most sensitive points of the operation. For many residents, pilgrims and workers, checking the route before leaving will be almost compulsory.
The Comunidad de Madrid expects to close up to 15 stations fully or partially, depending on the time and security needs. On Saturday the 6th, the day of the youth vigil around Plaza de Lima and the Bernabéu, stations on the northern axis such as Nuevos Ministerios, Cuzco and Santiago Bernabéu will be affected.
Sunday the 7th will be the most difficult day for the centre. From the start of service until 10:00, several stations will remain closed and trains will run without stopping. They include Bilbao, Tribunal, Plaza de España, Noviciado, Ópera, Sol, Sevilla, Banco de España, Retiro, Príncipe de Vergara, Serrano, Colón and Chueca.
The measure does not mean that Metro will reduce service. On the contrary: the network will be reinforced on lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, with frequency increases that may reach 125% at some times. Up to 42 additional trains are planned for the 6th, 7th and 8th, and on Sunday the 7th, because of the mass in Cibeles, a further 55 trains will be added to absorb the greater demand.
There will also be more staff on the network: maintenance technicians, station employees and extra security guards to guide travellers and respond to incidents. The idea is for Metro to function as the backbone of the operation, even though some of its most central stops cannot be used for several hours.
The plan is completed with extra buses. EMT will add night services and the Comunidad will increase interurban services, while municipal buses and Bicimad will be free between 3 and 9 June. Even so, many surface routes will also be diverted because of closures in Cibeles, Plaza de Lima and the Castellana-Recoletos axis.
The Pope’s visit will take place in Madrid from 6 to 9 June and will have two large mass events: the youth vigil in Plaza de Lima and the central mass in Cibeles. The City Council estimates these events may bring together around 1.8 million people in total, which explains the scale of the operation and the need to close nearby stations at certain times.
For anyone living or working in Madrid, the key will be not to travel by habit. During those days, the usual station may be closed, the train may pass without stopping and the quickest route may be another one. The papal visit will turn Metro into a more reinforced network, but one more constrained by security: more trains, yes, but with Madrid obliged to think through every journey before going down to the platform.