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| Madrid, 09/02/2010 |
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| Public
transport in Madrid. |
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| The city of Madrid boasts
an extensive and efficient public transport
network structured around 11 underground
lines, 170 bus routes operated by Empresa
Municipal de Transportes (EMT), and
8 suburban railway lines with part of
the journey through the city centre.
The fact that the public transport system
offers a wide range of services and
ample timetables, and it is easy to
change lines and understand the signposting,
makes it the best option for visitors
on their trips around our city. |
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| The Underground. |
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The Madrid Metro, inaugurated
in 1919, has undergone extensive renovation
and modernisation work. |
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| In just the
last 8 years, 111 kilometres of new
lines have been built which include
63 stations that can be accessed by
lift. The Underground network is currently
fifth on a global scale of length, 176
kilometres, and number of stations,
161. |
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| The Underground
is open every day of the week from 6.00
am to 1.30 am, although some stations
and entrances have limited opening times.
Train frequency depends on the line,
the time of day, and the day of the
week, and may fluctuate between every
three minutes at rush hour to every
five minutes the rest of the day. At
night, frequency drops to every 15 minutes. |
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| You can access
the Underground by inserting your ticket
into the machines in the ticket halls.
You can change as many times as you
want between lines with the same ticket. |
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| Passengers
who are used to travelling by Underground
will not find the Madrid network particularly
difficult to use. Each line is marked
with a colour and a number, and you
do not have to walk very far to change
lines. It is not advisable to travel
during the rush hour, between 7.30 am
and 9.00 am, as the crowds can make
your trip uncomfortable. The Madrid
Metro is safe thanks to the presence
of security guards and cameras, but,
as in other cities, it is advisable
for passengers to take care of their
personal effects. |
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| EMT
buses. |
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EMT bus routes in Madrid
link the centre with all the districts
of the city. |
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| Buses are
easily-identifiable as they are red,
except for those which operate with
natural gas which are blue. Most vehicles
offer access for the disabled and persons
with mobility difficulties; they all
have air conditioning, which is essential
during the hot Madrid summer. |
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| EMT buses
operate every day of the week from 6.00
am to 11.45 pm. Frequency depends on
the time of the day and the bus route,
and may fluctuate between 5 and 15 minutes.
From 11.45 pm onwards, a network of
25 nightly bus routes comes into operation
- the buses are commonly known as ‘owls’.
The bus terminal for these buses is
located on the central square of La
Cibeles. |
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| You should
get on buses at the front. Next to the
driver, there is machine where you should
insert your ticket for it to be clipped.
On buses, tickets are valid for one
journey only and in order to change
routes you should purchase another ticket.
At most bus stops, there is a city plan
where you can check the bus routes. |
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| Several EMT
bus routes go through the historic centre
of the city which is why it is advisable
to use the bus for short trips. If you
should wish to see the whole city, we
suggest you use certain EMT routes such
as the Circular or “C” route,
which goes round the city centre, or
the number 27, which goes down the entire
length of the Paseo del Prado-Recoletos-Castellana
thoroughfare, the main avenue in the
city. |
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| The
Suburban railway |
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The railway has undergone
substantial progress. The three main
means of public transport to get to
Madrid are linked to the suburban railway
stations: Atocha and Chamartin (long-distance
railway and the AVE – high speed
rail network), Nuevos Ministerios (underground
connection to the Airport), Méndez
Alvaro (Estación Sur de Autobuses
– long-distance coaches). |
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| Other stations
within the urban nucleus of Madrid are
Delicias, Pirámides, Príncipe
Pío and Recoletos. The axis of
Paseo de la Castellana, with the three
leading art galleries of El Prado, the
Thyssen Museum and the Reina Sofia Centre,
or the Nuevos Ministerios shopping area,
can be reached using the suburban railway. |
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| Trains runs
from 6:00 to 23:00, every three to five
minutes, depending on the time zone. |
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| Tickets. |
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| The Tourist Travel
Card is a personal transport
card that entitles its holder to travel
an unlimited number of times on the
Underground, EMT (bus network) or Renfe-suburban
railway, in zone A, during its validity
period. To do so, the holder’s
personal identification must be noted
in the respective space on the back
of the ticket. |
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| Other types of ticket
also available: |
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Single ticket. Valid
for only one journey. It can be purchased
from the Metro ticket offices and automatic
machines or from EMT bus drivers. |
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Ten-trip or metro-bus
ticket. Valid for ten journeys on the
Metro, EMT and night buses. It can be
purchased from ticket offices or automatic
machines in the Metro, from tobacconist’s
or press kiosks, and at EMT information
kiosks located at major bus terminals. |
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Renfe-suburban railways
also sells its own tickets for one and
ten journeys in zone A. |
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| In any of
the options above, it is compulsory
for passengers to keep their tickets
for the whole of the journey on public
transport. |
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| Further information. |
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| Passengers can obtain
free maps of the network at ticket offices
in the Metro and at passenger service
offices. Plans of the bus network can
be bought at most newspaper kiosks.
The Madrid Regional Transport Consortium,
an organisation that coordinates public
transport in the city, has a web page
where you can enquire about trips using
public transport round the city, and
which includes information on journey
times, recommended routes and changing
lines. www.ctm-madrid.es |
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