The Line 7 of the Madrid Metro reopens this Saturday, August 29, between Gregorio Marañón and Pitis, after the scheduled cut that began on August 2. The works have forced the interruption of circulation in this section for practically the entire month and to establish an alternative bus service for affected travelers.
The reopening occurs according to the schedule announced by the Community of Madrid, which established the suspension of service between August 2 and 28. Starting Saturday, trains will again make the journey through the 13 stations included between Gregorio Marañón and Pitis.
The return of the Metro also implies the withdrawal of the free special service SE7 of the EMT, enabled while the section remained closed. Users will thus be able to return to make their journeys directly on the railway network that during August required using alternative surface transport.
The 13 stations of Line 7 that recover the service
The reopening includes the stations of Gregorio Marañón, Alonso Cano, Canal, Islas Filipinas, Guzmán el Bueno, Francos Rodríguez, Valdezarza, Antonio Machado, Peñagrande, Avenida de la Ilustración, Lacoma, Arroyofresno, and Pitis. These are the 13 stops that were affected by the interruption in August.
The return to normality also allows for the direct recovery of several relevant connections. Gregorio Marañón connects Line 7 with Line 10; Canal allows the interchange with Line 2; and Guzmán el Bueno, with Line 6. Pitis is also once again connected by Metro with the rest of the route of Line 7.
For regular travelers, the main change from this Saturday will be, therefore, the possibility of returning to make this entire journey underground without leaving the network to use the SE7. Line 7 recovers its usual route between the center and the neighborhoods located to the northwest of Madrid.
The free bus SE7 stops operating
The Municipal Transport Company launched the SE7 on August 2, coinciding with the start of the works, as an alternative to maintain mobility during the railway interruption. The special service has operated free of charge for users during the closure period.
Its purpose was to cover the affected section on the surface while trains could not circulate between Gregorio Marañón and Pitis. With the completion of the scheduled works and the reopening of the stations, this alternative is no longer necessary.
Therefore, those who have used the special bus during August should take into account the change starting Saturday: the SE7 stops operating and travel is resumed via Line 7 of the Metro.
What works have been carried out on Line 7 of the Metro
The service interruption has allowed for the execution of track renewal works through electric welding and re-signaling actions, as part of the improvements that Metro de Madrid is developing in this infrastructure.
These interventions are part of a larger project to renew the signaling system of Line 7 along the route between Estadio Metropolitano and Pitis. The action affects about 20 kilometers of tunnel and 24 stations.
The project has a investment of over 33 million euros and aims to modernize the systems used to manage and control train circulation in this section of the Madrid network. The actions are co-financed at 40% by the FEDER 2021-2027 Program of the Community of Madrid.
A scheduled cut during practically all of August
Metro concentrated these works during August and set from the beginning the period of impact between August 2 and 28. The reopening on Saturday the 29th therefore represents the fulfillment of the planned schedule for this section.
The intervention between Gregorio Marañón and Pitis is part of the various improvement works that Metro de Madrid has scheduled in its network during the summer period, when actions that require temporary service interruptions are concentrated.
With the completion of this phase, travelers on Line 7 will recover from Saturday the affected route and connections with other lines, while the special transport device that has operated during the works disappears.
What travelers should know from this Saturday
From August 29, trains will resume service at the 13 affected stations and users will be able to make the journey between Gregorio Marañón and Pitis using Line 7 again. The most immediate change is the elimination of the SE7 and the recovery of the usual rail route.
For those who make transfers, the connections of Gregorio Marañón with line L10, Canal with line L2, and Guzmán el Bueno with line L6 are once again available within this section, avoiding the necessary alternative displacements during the closure.
The reopening thus ends almost four weeks of disruptions in this sector of Line 7 and restores the planned service once the scheduled work for August is completed.