SPAIN: Cercanías suburban rail line C5 serving the southern suburbs of Madrid is undergoing a comprehensive modernisation.
The Ministry of Transport & Sustainable Mobility has announced a €1.35bn programme of 28 interventions on the line, aiming to increase capacity by 60% and improve accessibility, safety, resilience and operational adaptability.
C5 links Móstoles-El Soto to Fuenlabrada/Humanes via the Atocha hub, and is used by 72 million passengers a year, making it the country’s busiest main line route.
Works will include platform extensions and the complete reconstruction of Móstoles-El Soto terminus.
New turn-back tracks are to be built between Atocha and Móstoles, which will allow passengers to transfer to the metro in the event of disruptions.
Stabling sidings are to be built at the Humanes depot, and a maintenance facility capable of handling 200 m long trains is to be built in Móstoles.
ETCS Level 2 signalling system is to be deployed along C5. As a first step, infrastructure manager Adif was given the go-ahead on April 28 to call tenders valued at €32m for the deployment of an ‘advanced’ signalling system on the first, 20.7 km Móstoles-El Soto — Embajadores section, ready for future upgrading to ETCS L2.
The signalling system will allow bidirectional operation on both tracks between Móstoles-El Soto and Laguna to support operations during disruptions.
Completion by 2031
Of the overall project cost, €635m is provided from the budget of Adif, and €700m is by national operator RENFE.
Some works have already started, with main civil works expected to begin in June 2027 and overall completion is foreseen for 2031.
The works form part of the Plan de Cercanías programme to enhance suburban rail services across the country’s principal conurbations.
RENFE’s share of the project covers the deployment of 35 of the Stadler double-deck trainsets on order for C5.