· Adif AV completes the construction of the lower passage under the high-speed tracks, 177 meters long and 9 meters wide, which connects by the west with the underground vestibule of Proxies.
· The minister highlighted the improvement that this new lower pass represents for the comfort of travelers, who can now go out onto the street on both sides of the station “in a direct and accessible way”.
· Puente has recalled the 540 million euros that are being invested in the transformation of the station “to gain capacity, amplitude, luminosity, comfort and accessibility”.
The Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, visited tonight the new lower pass built by Adif AV in the Madrid station of Chamartín–Clara Campoamor, which connects the High Speed with the central lobby of Cerca and the Metro. “From today’s morning, October 15, high-speed passengers arriving in Madrid will be able to use the entire lower pass and leave on both sides of the station directly and easily,” the minister said during his visit to the facilities.
The passage has been built under the 12 high-speed tracks, extending westwards the current operating corridor since November last year between tracks 20 and 25, and thus connecting it with the underground lobby of Cerca Ías. This new access has been articulated through a connecting piece of 170 m2, in which the lower passage ends at its western end, to which it has been equipped with elevator, fixed stairs and mechanics.
The new Lower High-Speed Pass has an area of 2,300 m2, 177 meters long and 9 meters wide, and crosses under all the high-speed tracks of the station. It is designed to facilitate a fast and comfortable departure for passengers, for which it has a connection with all high-speed platforms by means of elevators and mechanical and fixed stairs, as well as indicator screens.
High-speed passengers will thus be able to descend directly from their platform to the lower pass and exit in a simple and accessible way through either side of Chamartín. On the existing exit to the east of the station that overlooks Calle Hiedra and the taxi exchange, a new one is added to the west with direct access to the underground lobby of Proxias, which also connects with the Metro, Calle Agustín de Foxá, the VTC stop. Rent a car and the P2 parking lot of the station. “The new lower pass,” said Minister Óscar Puente, “connects all high-speed platforms, facilitating the exit and connection to the underground lobby of Cerca and Metro.
Actions in progress
The Madrid Chamartín-Clara Campoamor station continues its ambitious transformation process to gain capacity, breadth, luminosity, comfort, accessibility and intermodality. A transformation that, as the minister recalled, has been made “guaranteeing rail traffic at all times”. In this regard, Adif AV continues to make progress in various improvement actions:
- Main lobby: expansion to the north on all tracks of the station, with the aim of improving spaces for travelers and increasing the capacity for high-speed services.
- High speed: three new ramps covered from descent to the platforms (fingers) and expansion of the building on the tracks (from 14 to 20). At the end of the works, the station of Chamartín will have 12 high-speed throughways and 6 fingers.
- Suburbs Hall: expansion of the building over the Iberian wide tracks to generate a new hall for Suburbs travelers, who will have a specific space for waiting and information with access through turnstiles. From this area of more than 1,300 m2 The platforms of Iberian width will be accessed through fixed and mechanical stairs, as well as elevators.
- General Lobby: reform and expansion of the lobby to configure a large common area for all users and travelers of Vicinity, Medium and Long Distance and High Speed, equipped with banks, toilets, information to the traveler and services of ticket sales, catering and commercial.
Expansion and increase of travellers
The transformation of the Madrid Chamartín-Clara Campoamor station is being carried out in phases to maintain rail traffic at all times. This is what the minister recalled in his visit, highlighting the global investment figure. “We continue to transform Chamartín with an investment of more than 540 M€ to gain capacity, amplitude, luminosity, comfort and accessibility” he stressed.
Despite the works in progress, the station has maintained its operation, consolidating itself as a key railway node in Spain and experiencing a notable increase in the number of passengers. In 2024, it managed 44.4 million passengers, compared to 36.2 million the previous year.
“The works advance in the expansion of the main lobby, which will increase the number of high-speed tracks and double the space intended for travelers,” said Puente. And, once the works are completed, the new passenger building will have a total of 18,000 m2, almost double the initial surface. This space will be organized in three differentiated areas: a boarding area for Neighbourhoods, another for High Speed and a common area in the form of a large longitudinal corridor, which will act as the central axis of the station and main passenger flow path. This corridor will have a width of 18 meters - tripling the previous 6 meters - and a length of 220 meters, with commercial premises on one side and boarding areas and waiting for the other.
With these improvements, the Chamartín station is positioned as a modern, efficient railway node committed to sustainability and accessibility for all users.
This renovation is carried out prior to and independent of the integral transformation that in the future will be undertaken in the station and its urban environment, within the framework of the Open Ecosystem Chamartín project, from which the contract for the drafting of the projects has already been awarded for 20.5 million euros.
All these actions contribute to the achievement of SDGs 9 (promotion of reliable, sustainable and quality infrastructure), 11 (access to safe, accessible and sustainable transport systems), 8 (contribution to economic growth and employment) and 7 (energy efficiency).
European funding
The works of expansion of the Madrid Chamartín Clara Campoamor station, as well as the drafting of the construction project and the modification of the security, ERTMS, communications and energy facilities of the high-speed area have European funding, through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
