Madrid's first autonomous Metro arrives for night tests on lines 10, 11, 12

The first of 48 new autonomous trains for Metro Madrid's Line 6 has arrived at the Cuatro Vientos depot, marking the start of a summer test phase on lines 10, 11, 12 before full automation in 2027. The Serie 10.000 trains, built by CAF, will increase Line 6 capacity by 70% (to 731,000 daily passengers) and cut energy use by 20% Source: El Mundo.

The trains

Each six-car train is 109 metres long, carries up to 1,385 passengers (17% more than current models), and can reach 110 km/h – 33% faster than existing rolling stock Source: ABC. The units are driverless but retain two control desks for manual movements within depots or emergencies Source: ABC. The €531 million investment is the largest fleet renewal since 2008 Source: El Confidencial.

Testing and automation

This summer, trains will run manually at night on lines 10, 11, and 12 to verify safety and comfort Source: La Vanguardia. Once Line 6's €130 million upgrade – including platform screen doors and tunnel smoothing – is complete, autonomous tests will begin on the circular route Source: El Mundo. Services will increase to 30 trains per hour with a two‑minute headway Source: El Confidencial.

Workforce and future

Metro insists no jobs will be lost; drivers will be retrained and reassigned to other lines Source: El Español. President Isabel Díaz Ayuso described the arrival as “the first purchase of trains since 2008 and the biggest fleet renovation in Metro history” Source: La Vanguardia.