The Community of Madrid has ruled out using Metro Line 1 to serve the Madrid Nuevo Norte urban development, formerly known as Operación Chamartín. Following pressure from local residents, the network’s oldest line will continue to operate to Bambú and Pinar de Chamartín.
The previously preferred option involved extending the line northwards and integrating that section into Line 4, which would have required an interchange at Chamartín. However, objections submitted during the public consultation process proved decisive in shelving the proposal. The regional Minister of Transport, Jorge Rodrigo, confirmed that services “will continue as they do today”.
This decision marks a shift in one of the most contentious aspects of the Madrid Nuevo Norte scheme. Residents’ groups had warned of impacts on daily mobility and additional pressure on an already congested interchange, highlighting the loss of a direct link to the city centre for a population exceeding 180,000.
It would also have entailed unnecessary civil works to connect Line 4 platforms at Pinar de Chamartín with the existing tunnel linking this station to Bambú.
Despite abandoning this option, the regional government maintains its commitment to network expansion. Alternatives under consideration include a new line with three stations — Centro de Negocios, Fuencarral Sur and Fuencarral Norte — interfacing with Line 10 at Chamartín, along with new depot facilities.
However, this solution would not provide a direct metro link from the new district to the city centre or other key business areas such as AZCA.
From Trenvista’s perspective, the preferred option remains the original scheme: diverting Line 10 from Chamartín and extending Metronorte (as Line 14) between Tres Olivos and Chamartín. An independent line would retain the existing cross-platform interchange at Tres Olivos and add a new interchange at Chamartín, while Line 10 — built to large-profile loading gauge and offering fast access to the centre — is well suited to serve Madrid Nuevo Norte.