European community for mobility management

The size of the metro in Madrid has doubled during the past fifteen years. Strong political leadership at city and regional level ensured a series of investment plans were funded and delivered. By mid-2011 the system had grown to 294 km of route on 12 lines with 296 stations and now is the sixth-longest metro railway in the world.

Additionally, there are 386 km of urban/suburban Cercanias rail services network with 100 stations operating as 9 lines. Public transport is used for 1.5 billion journeys a year in Greater Madrid. The population of the region with Madrid at its centre has also been growing rapidly. In 2011 it stood at 6.5 million compared to five million only 20 years ago.

By the summer of 2011 the Madrid Metro had the largest numbers of lifts and escalators of any urban subway or metro system in the world with 508 lifts and 1656 escalators. They have a stringent access for all policy so in addition to the lifts and escalators new stations have extensive provision of speaking facilities at machines, podotactile paving, ischiatic supports on platforms, braille indicators and information throughout the sites, non-reflective lighting and other innovations.

Some of the busier interchanges in the new sections of Cercanias and Metro route are vast below the ground. These palaces below the streets have the capacity to accommodate a future doubling in the number of people using the systems. The largest and most dazzling spaces are used for a range of public and corporate events.

Even in the harsh economic conditions in Spain following the 2008 recession some investments continue to be delivered as all tiers of government have prioritised infrastructure, especially transport, for many years.

The delivery of so much transport infrastructure within the city region has enabled Madrid to mount a third successive bid to host the summer Olympics, this time for 2020, with all major political parties in support.