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The first driverless trains for line 6 are already running before arriving in Madrid
Line 6 of Metro de Madrid is starting to look like the future. The first driverless trains that will run on the Circular have begun testing outside the capital, and images of the new trains hint at one of the biggest changes the network has seen in decades. For those who use L6 every day, the transformation will not just be cosmetic: it will change the way people travel, the frequency of trains, and even safety in stations and tunnels.
The first of the new trains built by CAF is already running on the test track the company has in Navarra. A second train will arrive in the coming days, and both will then travel to Madrid to begin night-time trials on several lines of the underground. The plan is for testing to start this summer and for the automated line to be fully operational during 2027.
The new trains are part of a contract worth over 531 million euros to completely renew the fleet of the busiest line on the Metro. L6, used by hundreds of thousands of people every day, will thus become the first automated line in the entire Madrid network.
The transformation also requires adapting the stations. Metro has spent months installing automatic doors on platforms, reinforcing infrastructure, and upgrading electrical and control systems. In addition, the line will have more than 400 cameras and infrared systems to monitor tunnels, stations, and restricted areas—a kind of technological “bubble” designed to operate without drivers.
Those who use the Circular have already spent months dealing with partial closures, replacement buses, and night-time works. The ultimate goal is to increase the line’s capacity and reduce waiting times on a key route that connects neighbourhoods and links up with almost the entire Metro network.
Line 6 is not just any line. With its 28 stations and more than 23 kilometres of track, it acts as Madrid’s main underground artery and connects some of the city’s main transport interchanges. Its automation puts Madrid in line with other major European and Asian capitals that have been running driverless lines for years.
UPD: Automation is also progressing beyond the platforms. Metro has begun modernising the Laguna depot, which is key to adapting maintenance and internal operations for the future driverless trains of line 6. The project, with an expected investment of 20.8 million euros, will upgrade signalling and communications systems, connect the facility with the Puesto de Control Central, and allow for the necessary tests before full operation in 2027.