{"id":4986,"date":"2021-12-09T00:04:32","date_gmt":"2021-12-08T23:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revistaitransporte.com\/?p=4986"},"modified":"2021-12-09T23:19:56","modified_gmt":"2021-12-09T22:19:56","slug":"going-underground-in-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revistaitransporte.com\/going-underground-in-madrid\/","title":{"rendered":"Going underground in Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"

For a city like Madrid and its metropolitan area, which is home to 7.3 million people and constitutes Spain\u2019s largest conurbation, underground infrastructure such as the metro, commuter trains, walkways and transfer stations play a vital role in ensuring that the transport system is able to flow. Without them, there would be insufficient space at surface level to absorb the volume of passengers. The metro alone carries 677 million people per year, according to data for 2019.<\/p>\n

Of the 300-plus stations in the network, Sol is the busiest by a significant distance, with 24.4 million passengers in 2019. And that is not its only record: it is also the oldest station, as it was the starting-point of the city\u2019s first metro line, Sol-Cuatro Caminos, which opened in 1919. Following major extension work in 2009, Sol boasts the world\u2019s largest station cavern, measuring over 200 metres long by 20 metres wide and 15 metres high.<\/p>\n

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TUNNEL INCLINE. The image is a cross-section of the tunnel, showing the 12-metre incline between Sol commuter station and Gran V\u00eda metro station. Accessibility is provided by four moving walkways.<\/p><\/div>\n

After this expansion, which followed the entry into service of the new tunnel between the two major railway stations of Atocha (to the south) and Chamart\u00edn (to the north), Sol was reopened as a transfer station, with access to three metro lines and two commuter lines (located at the deepest level). Here, at the end of the vast station cavern, a pedestrian tunnel was built in order to provide a link to another of Madrid\u2019s historic stations, Gran V\u00eda, located a little over 100 metres away beneath Montera street. After the initial structure was built, the tunnel remained closed while work was carried out on the metro and commuter branch lines.<\/p>\n

Working on behalf of Adif, Ineco drew up the plans and supervised the work to prepare the tunnel for its entry into service. Work began in 2018 and recommenced in early 2021, while the Community of Madrid finalised the expansion of Gran V\u00eda station. Work on the two projects was coordinated, and both facilities were opened at the same time in July 2021. The new pedestrian tunnel will increase the flow of passengers to a station that already ranks among the busiest. Madrid Metro estimates that the station will receive an additional 22,000 users per day, in addition to the 44,000 who already do so.<\/p>\n