Madrid reinforces its commitment to more efficient public transport. The Municipal Transport Company (EMT) of the city has assumed the management of four new lines in its networkwhich is expanded to 227 itineraries. This change integrates the lines previously operated by the concessionaires Alacuber and Prisei, with the aim of improving the connection between neighborhoods such as El Pardo, Moncloa and Los Cármenes.
This change occurs after the end of the contracts of the concessionaire companies with the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium. The affected lines are 601, 602 and 500, which are now operated directly by EMT under new names: L158, L164, L179 and N31. As explained by the Madrid City Council In a statement, the schedules are maintained, but some improvements are introduced in the routes and frequencies.
Among the new features, the line L164 (previously 601)which connects Moncloa with El Pardo. It will offer a service similar to the previous one, with first departures at 6:25 a.m. from Moncloa and at 6:00 a.m. from El Pardo, with its last departures at 12:00 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. respectively on weekdays. For Sundays and holidays, the schedule starts at 7:00 a.m. from both heads. The frequency will vary between 10 and 15 minutes during times of greatest demand.
Another renewed line is the L179 (previously 602)which extends its journey from The Brown to Plaza de Castilla, instead of in front of the Hospital de La Paz on Pedro Rico Street. Thus, a new stop is created – number 4855 – in front of the monument to Calvo Sotelo, in addition to the inclusion of other new intermediate stops.
Its frequency will be 30 minutes, with services from 7:00 a.m. in Plaza de Castilla and 6:10 a.m. from El Pardo during weekdays. On Sundays, the first service from Plaza de Castilla will be at 7:30 a.m., and the last at 11:30 p.m. The last services will be at 11:30 p.m. from Plaza de Castilla and at 10:40 p.m. from El Pardo, every day.
For its part, the L158 (old line 500) maintains the route between Plaza de España and Los Cármenes. The schedules will begin at 6:20 a.m. from Plaza de España and at 5:50 a.m. from Los Cármenes on weekdays, with passage frequencies ranging between 7 and 20 minutes. On Sundays and holidays, the service begins at 7:30 a.m. from Plaza de España and at 7:00 a.m. from Los Cármenes, and the last buses will leave at 11:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., respectively.
The N31, new night line
Finally, the N31, as a noveltyis integrated into the network of night lines, the ‘owls’ of the EMToperating the route between Moncloa and El Pardo every day of the week. It will operate every day and will depart from stop number 11,980, in front of the General Headquarters of the Air and Space Army of Moncloa, to the head of El Pardo located on the Colmenar Viejo highway.
With a frequency of 35 minutesits first service from Moncloa will be at 00:20 am, and the last at 5:35 am on weekdays. Likewise, from El Pardo, the schedules begin at 00:15 a.m. and end at 5:30 a.m. on weekdays.
As for Saturdays and the eve of holidays, the first ‘owl’ on the N31 from Moncloa will leave at 00:20 a.m. and the last one at 6:10 a.m., while from the head of El Pardo the first is scheduled at 00:15 a.m. and the last one at 6.05 am. Its frequency of passage will also be 35 minutes and it will have a crew of two cars.