Metro Ligero de Madrid
Encyclopedia
The Metro Ligero de Madrid is a light rail
/tram
system in Madrid
, Spain
. It has three lines with a total of 27.8 km and 36 stations.
Line ML-1 opened between Pinar de Chamartín and Las Tablas on May 24, 2007, with 5.4 km and 9 stations, 5 of which are underground. Both termini offer connections to lines of the Madrid Metro
. The only stations on the surface are Antonio Saura, Álvarez de Villaamil, Palas del Rey, and Las Tablas. The line serves the new neighbourhoods of Sanchinarro and Las Tablas
, in the district of Fuencarral
.
Line ML-2 opened between Colonia Jardín and Estación de Avaraca in the neighbourhood of Avaraca, in the western communities of Boadilla del Monte
and Pozuelo de Alarcón
, on July 27, 2007, with 8.7 km and 13 stations, three of which are underground. The three stations are Colonia Jardín, Somosaguas Sur, and Avenida de Europa. ML-2 also passes by the Complutense University of Madrid
. As part of the project, a provision has been made for an extra station at Prado de las Bodegas, which is subject to further development. The station will also provide a connection to a future Metro Ligero line, Line ML-4, going to Estación de Las Rozas.
Line ML-3 opened between Colonia Jardín and Puerta de Boadilla on July 27, 2007, with 13.7 km and 15 stations, 2 of which are underground. The 2 stations are Colonia Jardín and Montepríncipe (which is in an open cut between two separate tunnels). Line ML-3 serves Ciudad de la Imagen, an employment centre with an audiovisual theme, and ends in Boadilla del Monte
. The first 50 to 75 metres of track of Line ML-3 are shared by Line ML-2. As with Line ML-2, Line ML-3 serves the western suburbs of Madrid. Both lines are in a special fare zone designated as "Metro Ligero Oeste". Similarly, provisions have been made for three more stations on Line ML-3: Retamares Oeste, Ciudad Financiera Este, and Ciudad Financiera Oeste. All three stations are not scheduled to open until further development takes place.
model, with 70 low floor trams. As opposed to on the Metro, trams operate on the right. The trams have a maximum speed of 70 km/h and are capable of handling 200 passengers with 54 seats. Currently at a length of 30 m, the trams are designed so that they can be expanded to 45 m in the future.
The Citadis 302 model as used on the Metro Ligero is similarly used on a tramway in the southern suburb of Parla
. However, a difference is that the trams used on the Metro Ligero are coloured red and blue, and the trams used in Parla are coloured lime green.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
/tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
system in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It has three lines with a total of 27.8 km and 36 stations.
Line ML-1
Line ML-1 opened between Pinar de Chamartín and Las Tablas on May 24, 2007, with 5.4 km and 9 stations, 5 of which are underground. Both termini offer connections to lines of the Madrid Metro
Madrid Metro
The Madrid Metro is a metro system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the sixth longest metro in the world though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world...
. The only stations on the surface are Antonio Saura, Álvarez de Villaamil, Palas del Rey, and Las Tablas. The line serves the new neighbourhoods of Sanchinarro and Las Tablas
Las Tablas
Las Tablas is the capital of the Panamanian province of Los Santos. It is located a few kilometers inland from the Gulf of Panama on the Azuero Peninsula. Las Tablas is a recognized national center of Panamanian folk: Art, music, gastronomy, architecture, culture and literature...
, in the district of Fuencarral
Fuencarral
Fuencarral is a neighborhood located in the northern part of Madrid, Spain. It includes the municipal area of the ancient town of Fuencarral, which was annexed to the city of Madrid by a decree of November 10, 1950. Administratively, Fuencarral belongs to the municipal district of Valverde in the...
.
Stations
- Pinar de Chamartín (interchange to MetroMadrid MetroThe Madrid Metro is a metro system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the sixth longest metro in the world though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world...
Line 1Line 1 (Madrid Metro)Line 1 of the Madrid Metro was opened on 17 September 1919 between Cuatro Caminos and Sol. It was extended from Sol to Atocha in 1921, Atocha to Puente de Vallecas in 1923, Cuatro Caminos to Tetuán in 1929, Tetuán to Plaza De Castilla in 1961 and Puente de Vallecas to Portazgo in 1962.Between 1964...
and Line 4Line 4 (Madrid Metro)Line 4 of the Madrid Metro was opened on 23 March 1944 between Goya and Argüelles. In 1958, the line took up a branch of line 2 from Goya to Diego de León, which originally opened on 17 September 1932. In the 1970s, the line was extended in two stages: from Diego de León to Alfonso XII and from...
) - Fuente de la Mora
- Virgen del Cortijo
- Antonio Saura
- Álvarez de Villaamil
- Blasco Ibáñez
- María Tudor
- Palas del Rey
- Las Tablas (interchange to MetroMadrid MetroThe Madrid Metro is a metro system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the sixth longest metro in the world though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world...
Line 10Line 10 (Madrid Metro)Line 10 of the Madrid Metro is in fact the product of two lines, the former line 8 from Fuencarral to Nuevos Ministerios and the former Suburbano from Alonso Martínez to Aluche, this section being named line 10 in the 1980s. In the 1990s, Madrid planned for these two lines to become one, but...
)
Line ML-2
Boadilla del Monte
Boadilla del Monte is a town in Spain. It is located in the center of the Community of Madrid. It had a population of 41,807 in 2008.-External links:* * *...
and Pozuelo de Alarcón
Pozuelo de Alarcón
Pozuelo de Alarcón is a suburb of over 85,000 inhabitants near the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. It is surrounded by large Mediterranean pine-tree forests: la Casa de Campo, el Monte del Pardo and el Monte del Pilar...
, on July 27, 2007, with 8.7 km and 13 stations, three of which are underground. The three stations are Colonia Jardín, Somosaguas Sur, and Avenida de Europa. ML-2 also passes by the Complutense University of Madrid
Complutense University of Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid is a university in Madrid, and one of the oldest universities in the world. It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, with annexes in the district of Somosaguas in the neighboring city of...
. As part of the project, a provision has been made for an extra station at Prado de las Bodegas, which is subject to further development. The station will also provide a connection to a future Metro Ligero line, Line ML-4, going to Estación de Las Rozas.
Stations
- Colonia Jardín (interchange to MetroMadrid MetroThe Madrid Metro is a metro system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the sixth longest metro in the world though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world...
Line 10Line 10 (Madrid Metro)Line 10 of the Madrid Metro is in fact the product of two lines, the former line 8 from Fuencarral to Nuevos Ministerios and the former Suburbano from Alonso Martínez to Aluche, this section being named line 10 in the 1980s. In the 1990s, Madrid planned for these two lines to become one, but...
and Metro Ligero Line ML-3) - Prado de la Vega
- Colonia de los Ángeles
- Prado del Rey
- Somosaguas Sur
- Somosaguas Centro
- Pozuelo Oeste
- Prado de las Bodegas (foundation of station exists)
- Bélgica
- Dos Castillas
- Campus de Somosaguas
- Avenida de Europa
- Berna
- Estación de Avaraca (interchange to CercaníasCercanías MadridCercanías Madrid is the commuter rail service that serves Madrid, the capital of Spain, and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías Renfe, the commuter rail division of RENFE, the former monopoly of rail services in Spain. The system is infamous for being the target of the 11 March 2004...
)
Line ML-3
Line ML-3 opened between Colonia Jardín and Puerta de Boadilla on July 27, 2007, with 13.7 km and 15 stations, 2 of which are underground. The 2 stations are Colonia Jardín and Montepríncipe (which is in an open cut between two separate tunnels). Line ML-3 serves Ciudad de la Imagen, an employment centre with an audiovisual theme, and ends in Boadilla del Monte
Boadilla del Monte
Boadilla del Monte is a town in Spain. It is located in the center of the Community of Madrid. It had a population of 41,807 in 2008.-External links:* * *...
. The first 50 to 75 metres of track of Line ML-3 are shared by Line ML-2. As with Line ML-2, Line ML-3 serves the western suburbs of Madrid. Both lines are in a special fare zone designated as "Metro Ligero Oeste". Similarly, provisions have been made for three more stations on Line ML-3: Retamares Oeste, Ciudad Financiera Este, and Ciudad Financiera Oeste. All three stations are not scheduled to open until further development takes place.
Stations
- Colonia Jardín (interchange to MetroMadrid MetroThe Madrid Metro is a metro system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the sixth longest metro in the world though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world...
Line 10Line 10 (Madrid Metro)Line 10 of the Madrid Metro is in fact the product of two lines, the former line 8 from Fuencarral to Nuevos Ministerios and the former Suburbano from Alonso Martínez to Aluche, this section being named line 10 in the 1980s. In the 1990s, Madrid planned for these two lines to become one, but...
and Metro Ligero Line ML-2) - Ciudad de la Imagen
- José Isbert
- Ciudad del Cine
- Cocheras
- Retamares
- Retamares Oeste (foundation exists for unopened station)
- Montepríncipe
- Ventorro del Cano
- Prado del Espino
- Ciudad Financiera Este (foundation exists for unopened station)
- Ciudad Financiera Oeste (foundation exists for unopened station)
- Cantabria
- Ferial del Boradilla
- Boadilla Centro
- Nuevo Mundo
- Siglo XXI
- Infante Don Luís
- Puerta de Boadilla
Future projects
- A new Metro Ligero line, Line ML-4, is proposed from the new station Prado de las Bodegas on Line ML-2 to Estación de Las Rozas, with a connection to CercaníasCercanías MadridCercanías Madrid is the commuter rail service that serves Madrid, the capital of Spain, and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías Renfe, the commuter rail division of RENFE, the former monopoly of rail services in Spain. The system is infamous for being the target of the 11 March 2004...
trains. The line would serve the Hospital Puerta de Hierro. Line ML-4 is currently underway. The project will be with 14.3 km and 24 stations. - A tramway is also underway in the southern suburb of ValdemoroValdemoroValdemoro is a municipal district, located in the Southern zone of the autonomous community of Madrid, Spain. Located 27 kilometers from the capital, Valdemoro is officially part of the comarca of La Sagra, though it is generally also included in the Madrid metropolitan area.The municipality has...
, which would connect the Cercanías railway station and the Hospital Infanta Elena. Both are expected to open by 2011. - Lines ML-2 and ML-3 are expected to be extended from Colonia Jardín to Aluche by 2020.
Rolling stock
All Metro Ligero lines are equipped with trams of the Citadis 302Citadis
The Citadis is a low-floor tram built by Alstom in La Rochelle, France, and Barcelona, Spain. 1,140 Citadis are currently in use in 28 cities, among others: Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Orléans, the Paris area, and Barcelona, Dublin, Gdańsk, Katowice, Adelaide, Melbourne, Jerusalem and...
model, with 70 low floor trams. As opposed to on the Metro, trams operate on the right. The trams have a maximum speed of 70 km/h and are capable of handling 200 passengers with 54 seats. Currently at a length of 30 m, the trams are designed so that they can be expanded to 45 m in the future.
The Citadis 302 model as used on the Metro Ligero is similarly used on a tramway in the southern suburb of Parla
Parla
Parla is a municipality of the Madrid Metropolitan Area, Spain. It is located in the southern part of the autonomous community, approximately 20 km from the capital, Madrid. , it has a population of 120,182.- History :- Origins :...
. However, a difference is that the trams used on the Metro Ligero are coloured red and blue, and the trams used in Parla are coloured lime green.