Users of Cercanías Madrid will have to face a new cut in the center of the capital next weekend. Adif will interrupt circulation through the Sol tunnel between the stations of Atocha and Nuevos Ministerios on September 5 and 6, an action that will directly affect lines C-3 and C-4, including branches C-4a and C-4b. This will be the second and last weekend of restrictions planned in this phase of the works, after the cut that is being applied this August 29 and 30.
The most visible consequence will be that the Cercanías station at Sol will remain closed throughout the weekend for these trains. Therefore, there will be no direct connection of C-3 and C-4 through the center between Atocha and Nuevos Ministerios, and travelers will have to change their means of transport or reorganize their trips.
How lines C-3 and C-4 will operate
The cut will divide services coming from the north and south of Madrid. On the C-3, trains coming from Aranjuez, which pass through towns like Ciempozuelos, Valdemoro, Pinto, or Getafe, will have Atocha as a provisional head, so they will not be able to continue through the Sol tunnel. On the C-4, services coming from Parla and the south of the region will also end their journey at Atocha.
On the other side of the cut, Nuevos Ministerios will function as a provisional head for C-4 trains that run towards the branches of Alcobendas/San Sebastián de los Reyes and Colmenar Viejo. This means that those who normally cross Madrid from north to south using the C-4 will have to interrupt their journey and look for an alternative to cover the central section. Renfe plans to maintain the usual frequencies corresponding to a weekend in the sections that do remain operational.
What alternatives travelers will have
Renfe has established as the main measure that travelers with a valid Cercanías ticket can use the regular EMT buses at no additional cost during the disruptions. The operator has not announced a single special line that completely replaces the Atocha-Sol-Nuevos Ministerios route, so each user will have to choose the bus service that best suits their destination.
The Madrid Metro also allows for alternative movements through the center, although the usual fare conditions of the suburban train will apply according to the transport title used. From Atocha, line 1 allows direct access to Sol; from Nuevos Ministerios there are connections with lines 6, 8, and 10. For those who need to cross the city, the recommendation is to check the itinerary before starting the journey and allow more travel time.
The specific impact on the 5th and 6th is concentrated on the C-3 and C-4. The extraordinary alterations that affected lines C-2, C-7, C-8, and C-10 during August due to the Atocha works ended on August 28, according to the planned schedule. However, on September 5, the independent cut of C-8b between Cercedilla and Los Molinos will remain in effect, where Renfe maintains a special bus service; C-9 is also still affected by its own renovation works.
Why the Sol tunnel is closing again
The restrictions are part of the transformation of Atocha Cercanías, where Adif is implementing a new track scheme to increase capacity and improve the reliability of a station through which around 900 trains and 225,000 travelers circulate daily. The main phase of the summer works has already finished, but there are still actions that require the two weekend cuts in the Sol tunnel.
Among the works carried out this summer, the definitive connection of the Sol and Embajadores tunnels through a new false tunnel constructed in the Atocha area stands out, in addition to the adaptation of the new track 8. The final goal is for the Sol tunnel to increase its capacity by approximately 33%, as well as to have greater flexibility to manage trains when breakdowns or incidents occur.
During the cut on September 5 and 6, the demolition of part of the gable necessary to connect the Sol tunnel with the new section that connects with Embajadores will be completed, among other actions. Fire protection work will also be carried out on the metal structure installed in this area.
The last major cut of the summer in the Sol tunnel
Adif and Renfe have concentrated the work with the greatest impact during the summer months to take advantage of the decrease in travelers. In fact, the cut of September 5 and 6 is planned as the last service interruption linked to this phase of the Sol tunnel works, although the complete transformation of Atocha will continue with work that should not have an equivalent impact on users.
Therefore, those who use the C-3 or C-4 the first weekend of September must take into account three essential changes: there will be no trains between Atocha and Nuevos Ministerios due to the Sol tunnel, the Sol station will be closed for Cercanías, and the lines will be divided with provisional heads in Atocha and Nuevos Ministerios. To cover the affected section, travelers with a valid Cercanías ticket will be able to use the EMT buses without paying an additional fare.