Madrid's Line 6 Is Getting Driverless Trains: Here's What Changes

The Comunidad de Madrid confirmed on May 18, 2026, that the first automatic train destined for Line 6 has begun track testing at the CAF Track Test Center in Corella, Navarre. CAF is the manufacturer building the new fleet.

These tests check the train before it reaches a passenger line: braking, acceleration, communications, safety systems, and how the train will integrate with Metro de Madrid infrastructure.

The timeline below records the expected delivery and testing stages in that May announcement.

The order covers 48 new trains, with a total investment of 531.2 million euros. They are being built at CAF's plants in Beasain and Irun.

Each train has six connected cars and no driver's cab. That removes the usual closed front compartment and creates more usable passenger space, including a front-facing window for riders.

The Comunidad’s specifications and projected benefits are:

Speed: the Comunidad gives a design maximum of 110 km/h, around 33% above the current trains; that is not a forecast of journey-time savings.

Frequency: automation is expected to allow trains every two minutes at peak times.

Capacity: each unit will carry up to 1,385 passengers, including 165 seated places. The Comunidad says the new layout gives up to 17% more space for users.

Energy: the new fleet is expected to be 20% more energy efficient than the current trains.

Access and comfort: the trains will include air conditioning, CCTV, mobile charging points, wheelchair spaces, areas for bicycles and pushchairs, acoustic and visual information systems, and an inductive loop for hearing-aid users.

Driverless trains need more than new rolling stock. Line 6 also needs station, signalling, communications, power, and depot upgrades.

The most visible passenger-facing work is the adaptation of platforms for automatic platform doors. The Comunidad de Madrid is spending 8 million euros to adjust platforms across the 28 Line 6 stations so the doors can be installed and aligned safely with the new trains.

The wider Line 6 automation programme is much larger: more than 1 billion euros, including the new trains, platform-door installation, signalling work, and infrastructure renewal.

The Laguna depot is also being modernized so it can handle the new driverless fleet, including automatic operation on most of its train tracks and updated communications with Metro's central control systems.

• May 2026 - the first automatic train begins testing at CAF's track centre in Corella, Navarre.
• June 2026 - the second unit is expected to arrive in Corella.
• From July 2026 - the first two six-car trains are due to move to Madrid for night-time manual testing on lines 10, 11, and 12.
• 2027 - the new trains are expected to begin operating on Line 6, and Line 6 is expected to become Madrid Metro's first driverless line.

The key correction for commuters: there is no official passenger-service date in late 2026. The latest Comunidad de Madrid wording points to service in 2027.

The May 6 notice specified closure at 23:00 from Sunday to Thursday during platform works. For late journeys, that shortened operating window mattered immediately. Consult current Metro notices for journeys today.

Line 6 is the busiest line in the Metro de Madrid network, with more than 400,000 daily users. It also acts as a connector between major interchange points such as Moncloa, Nuevos Ministerios, Avenida de America, Diego de Leon, Pacifico, Legazpi, Plaza Eliptica, Principe Pio, and Cuatro Caminos.

That makes it a good candidate for automation: small frequency improvements can affect a lot of people, and a more reliable circular line helps journeys that do not start or end in the city centre.