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The rolling stock operated by Metro de Madrid

Posted: 20 September 2009 | Manuel González Márquez, Department of New Rolling Stock, Metro de Madrid | No comments yet

Metro de Madrid has grown significantly in the last 15 years, from a network of 121km in 1995 to the current 283km. The fleet of rolling stock operated by the company has also grown in parallel, from 1,076 wagons in 1995 to the current 2,281.

The detail of trends in the rolling stock operated by Metro de Madrid over recent years can be seen in Table 1.

Metro de Madrid has grown significantly in the last 15 years, from a network of 121km in 1995 to the current 283km. The fleet of rolling stock operated by the company has also grown in parallel, from 1,076 wagons in 1995 to the current 2,281. The detail of trends in the rolling stock operated by Metro de Madrid over recent years can be seen in Table 1.

Metro de Madrid has grown significantly in the last 15 years, from a network of 121km in 1995 to the current 283km. The fleet of rolling stock operated by the company has also grown in parallel, from 1,076 wagons in 1995 to the current 2,281.

The detail of trends in the rolling stock operated by Metro de Madrid over recent years can be seen in Table 1.

marquez table 1

In conclusion from the data shown in Table 1, Metro de Madrid has brought 1,439 new wagons into service over a 15-year period. Table 1 shows that not only has the drive been important in putting trains in service for new lines, but that a significant number of old trains (built between 1965 and 1982) have also been replaced by newly designed models. As a result of this, the average age of the fleet in 2007 was just 10.6 years.

In addition, Metro de Madrid has also been operating a light metro line since 2007, which is 5.4km long and upon which eight articulated units circulate.

Distribution of the rolling stock fleet

The Metro de Madrid network divides into two body sizes; wide-body (lines 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12) with a maximum train width of 2.8m; and narrow-body (lines 1, 2, R, 3, 4, 5 and 11) where the maximum width is 2.4m. The track gauge is 1,445mm in all cases. All electrical power supply is by catenary, at 600 V DC on lines 1, 2, R, 4, 5, 6 and 9 and 1500 V DC on lines 3, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12.

Of Metro de Madrid’s current fleet of 2,281 wagons, 1,113 are wide-body and 1,168 are narrow-body. For the electrical power systems, 1,220 wagons are for 600 V DC, 737 for 1500 V DC and 324 are dual voltage and can run on one catenary voltage or the other.

The wagons are grouped to form train sets and comprise of two, three, four or six wagons. Trains in service are made up of three, four or six wagons and, depending upon the circumstances, form one, two or three train sets.

Common characteristics

85% of the trains run by Metro de Madrid use a tri-phase technology traction system; Metro de Madrid was one of the pioneering companies in the introduction of this system in underground networks in 1984. Two thirds of these wagons with tri-phase technology traction use the network director ondulator system. In the rest of the fleet, 9% have chopper traction equipment and 6% rheostatic traction equipment.

The service brake is electrical and pneumatic on all trains; the electrical always preferential; regenerative in the network on 94% of trains.

The maximum speed for trains on wide-body lines is 70km/h, except on some sections of the lines 8, 10 and 12, which reach 110km/h. On narrow-body lines, the maximum train speed is 65km/h except on the new section of line 3, where they reach 80km/h.

All lines have a train protection system (ATP) in place, including the light metro line ML-1, (although only on its underground sections). The ATP system is DIMETRONIC except on line ML-1 where it is ALSTOM, and on lines 1 and 6 where a CBTC BOMBARDIER system is being installed. All lines, except lines 2, R and ML-1, have automatic drive with driver.

Currently, all the trains run by Metro de Madrid have air conditioning, and also have a radio-telephone connection with the Central Post, plus a public address for traveller announcements.

Other systems installed in most wagons (except for the oldest), are:

  • Acoustic and visual announcement of the destination and next station
  • Video-surveillance with live transmission of images to the Central Post, enabling the driver to see the state of platforms at the next station
  • A nebulised-water fire-detection and extinction system
  • A computerised driver and maintenance aid system
  • Photoluminiscent emergency evacuation aid
  • Evacuation stairs to the track for emergencies
  • Passages allowing movement between wagons
  • A ‘black box’ recording running and braking developments
  • A number of universal accessibility systems such as spaces for wheelchair users, a mobile access ramp in the front wagon, door-colour contrast, handrails and sets and acoustic and light locators of the front wagon doors

Description of series

Metro de Madrid currently operates seven sets of heavy metro trains and one light metro, as follows:

2000 Series

736 wagons of this series were built between 1984 and 2005 by CAF, MACOSA, ATEINSA, AEG, CONELEC, ABB, ADTRANZ and BOMBARDIER. The traction technology is tri-phase, with an intermediate circuit forming two drive-trailer wagon train sets (except for six drive-drive units) and they are currently running on lines 1 and 5.

3000 Series

432 wagons of this series were brought into service between 2006 and 2008, built by CAF, COFEMA, SIEMENS and BOMBARDIER, using tri-phase traction technology with direct network ondulators and distributed into 36 six-wagon sets for 1500 V DC and 54 four-wagon dual-voltage sets. The six-wagon sets are running on line 3 and those with four wagons are running on lines 2, R, 4 and 11.

5000 Series

352 wagons of this series were built between 1974 and 1999 by CAF, WESA, AEG and SIEMENS. Their traction technology is chopper, except for the oldest, where it is rheostatic and they form two-wagon drive-drive sets running on lines 6 and 9. The oldest wagons in this series, built between 1974 and 1976, are planned to be replaced shortly by new trains.

6000 Series

132 wagons of this series were put into service between 1998 and 2007 built by CAF, ALSTOM, ADTRANZ and SIEMENS. The traction technology is tri-phase with direct network ondulators and they form three-wagon drive-trailer-drive sets and run on line 9.

7000 Series

222 wagons of this series were built between 2002 and 2005 by ANSALDOBREDA. Their traction technology is tri-phase with direct network ondulators forming six-wagon sets of which 30 are for 1500 V DC voltage and seven are dual-voltage – the former running on line 10 and the latter on line 6.

8000 Series

155 wagons of this series came into service between 2001 and 2007, built by CAF, ALSTOM, SIEMENS and BOMBARDIER. The traction technology is tri-phase with direct network ondulators, and they form three-wagon or four-wagon sets for 1500 V DC, except for 10 three-wagon sets which are dual voltage. The four-wagon sets run on line 8, those of three wagons, single voltage, on line 12 and the three-wagon dual voltage models on line 9.

9000 Series

This series comprises 252 wagons built between 2006 and 2009 by ANSALDOBREDA. The traction technology is tri-phase with direct network ondulators, and some form six-wagon sets (some for 1500 V DC and other dual voltage) and also of three wagons at 1500 V DC. The six-wagon single voltage sets run on line 7, the six-wagon dual tension sets on line 6 and those of three wagons on lines 7b and 10b.

Citadis Series

These are the light metro sets built by ALSTOM and brought into service in 2007. They are five-module articulated sets of which three are on rolling elements and two are suspended between them. The electrical power supply is 750 V DC via catenary and these units run on the ML-1 line.

Auxiliary vehicles

In addition to the wagon fleet for passenger trains, Metro de Madrid has a fleet of 112 auxiliary vehicles for the maintenance of the infrastructure, track and installations. They are of very diverse types, notable among them an installation auscultation train, rail grinding trains, ballast tamper, track trolleys, catenary trolleys, wagons of various types, etc., most of them diesel-motor driven. There is at present a new contract to build another 36 new auxiliary vehicles, awarded to the companies PLASSER ESPAÑOLA and MAQUIVÍAS.

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