- There will be a significant reinforcement of the train services both in the vicinity, with 2,000 more trains circulating, and in the middle distance , with 7,000 additional seats. In long distance and high speed, discounts will be offered.
- The most important national museums will open free of charge on the night of 6 to 7 June.
- The concrete preparations in the field of security, mobility, logistics and in the cultural field for the events of Pope Leo XIV in Madrid have made significant progress after the official agenda was known.
The network will be strengthened with two million additional seats and 2,000 more trains in circulation to facilitate mobility during the visit of Pope Leo XIV to Madrid, as announced today by the delegate of the Government of Spain in the Community of Madrid, Francisco Martín, after presiding over the third preparatory meeting for the stay of Pope Leo XIV in the region.
This will be facilitated by configuring more dual composition trains, additional circulations and strategic reserve trains to absorb peak demand.
To this will be added 7,000 additional places in the services of medium distance and a program of discounts in long distance and high speed to facilitate the movements of all people who want to go to the capital.
A special device will also be activated to ensure mobility, security and better attention to travelers in the face of large influx events (one million people are expected in Cibeles and half a million in Plaza de Lima), and the presence of security guards will be increased with 200 more troops in trains and stations throughout the network.
This is another example of how all the resources of the State are going to be made available to the visit to make it a success in all aspects. For the government delegate, this new meeting has made it possible to take “significant steps” in the organization, since it is the first of those convened by the government delegation that takes place after the official agenda of the Pontiff is known. “It’s a challenge, but we’ll be up to it,” he said.
On the cultural level, the cultural initiative Noche en Blanco (and Amarillo) has been promoted, which aims to bring cultural and artistic heritage closer to society. In this way, several cultural entities of national and local scope will open their doors during extended hours and with free access on the night of Saturday 6 to Sunday 7 June, among them, public museums of national scope such as the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, the Gallery of the Royal Collections or the Naval Museum.
The largest police mobilisation seen in Spain
In terms of security, Francisco Martín explained that the police deployment planned for this visit is going to be the largest that has ever been carried out in Spain, and that the specific details of the device that will be activated in Madrid will end up being concretized in the Security Board that is convened for that purpose on May 25.
Pope's Agenda in Madrid
The events of the Pope’s visit to Madrid will begin on June 6 with the institutional meeting of reception and welcome chaired also by His Majesties, together with the representatives of the other institutions, civil society and the diplomatic corps, in the Royal Palace.
The same day in the afternoon, Leo XIV will visit the social project CEDIA 24 Hours of Caritas, a center specialized in the integral care and accompaniment of homeless people, thus putting, from the very day of his arrival, charity at the center of the whole trip.
After this meeting, the next milestone of the 6th will be a prayer vigil with young people in the Plaza de Lima and the surrounding areas (next to the Bernabéu Stadium), which will culminate in the celebration of a Eucharistic Adoration. Prior to the celebration, the Holy Father will take a tour of the area, greeting the pilgrims from the Papamóvil.
The next day, on Sunday, June 7, the feast of Corpus Christi, the day will begin with the first of the great masses of the trip, in the Plaza de Cibeles followed by a procession.
Already in the afternoon, Leo XIV will preside at the Movistar Arena, the Tejer Redes event, in which representatives of the world of culture, art and economics will participate.
On Monday 8th in the morning, the Holy Father will receive in the Nunciature the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez. Later, he will go to the Congress of Deputies, where for the first time in the history of our country, Leo XIV will address members of Congress and the Senate. After this event, the Pope will meet the Spanish bishops at the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference.
In the afternoon, the Pope will address a prayer to the Virgin of Almudena, in the Cathedral of Santa María de la Almudena. And from there, he will go to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium to preside over a meeting with the diocesan community of Madrid.
Finally, the stop in the capital will end on Tuesday, June 9, in the morning, with a meeting with the volunteers who have worked in the organization of this stage of the trip, at IFEMA.
Third coordination meeting
The operational plans that must materialize in the different sites of the papal visit are being concretized in the corresponding security devices, designed from the information and coordination meetings that have been held.
On the part of the Government Delegation, two previous meetings have already been organized: the first, on March 31, and the second, on April 27. In parallel, the government delegate has attended so many others organized by the Presidency of the Government.
Today’s meeting was attended by: representatives of the Presidency of the Government; Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of the Interior; Council of the Presidency, Justice and Local Administration of the Community of Madrid; Madrid City Council; Episcopal Conference / Organizing Committee of the Archdiocese of Madrid; RENFE, Regional Transport Consortium and, by the Government Delegation in Madrid, those responsible for the Citizen Security and Civil Protection units.
Link to statements by the government delegate: https://we.tl/t-WANBxGW0C0s2gpvH
Resource images of the meeting: https://we.tl/t-DXZJx3fWj6d5mMbY