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Madrid’s Metro Line 6, the circular line known as La Circular, will be closed between Cuatro Caminos and Lucero on the weekend of Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4, 2026. Infobae reported, citing a Comunidad de Madrid statement, that eight stations on the section close for 48 hours, including Moncloa, Argüelles and Príncipe Pío, while Metro de Madrid tests systems for driverless operation. The same section is also closed this weekend, September 26 and 27.
Free replacement buses cover the closed section. If you are visiting Madrid over either weekend, our guide to things to do in Madrid helps you plan the rest of the trip around the closure.
- Line: Metro de Madrid Line 6, between Cuatro Caminos and Lucero.
- Dates: September 26 and 27, and October 3 and 4, 2026, for 48 hours each weekend.
- Closed stations: Guzmán el Bueno, Vicente Aleixandre, Ciudad Universitaria, Moncloa, Argüelles, Príncipe Pío, Puerta del Ángel, Alto de Extremadura.
- Replacement: free buses from 6:00 a.m. to after 1:30 a.m.
- More closures: further weekend closures on the line through December.
Line 6 Closed Between Cuatro Caminos and Lucero
Cuatro Caminos and Lucero stay open as temporary end stations for the rest of the line, according to Infobae. Everything between them is closed for the weekend. Libertad Digital reported that the closures are part of 48 hour interruptions on several weekends through the end of the year, with September 26 and 27 and October 3 and 4 the first two.
Metro de Madrid said the work was concentrated on Saturdays and Sundays to keep disruption to riders to a minimum, Infobae reported. Line 6 carries close to 400,000 riders a day, according to the same report.
Free Buses and Other Metro Lines
Metro de Madrid is running a special free bus service that follows the closed route above ground. The buses operate during normal metro hours, from 6:00 a.m. until after 1:30 a.m., when the last departures leave the end points.
Other metro lines also help. At Príncipe Pío, you can still connect with the Ópera branch, Line 10 and Cercanías commuter trains, and at Argüelles there is a connection with Line 3, Infobae reported. Those options avoid the replacement buses for trips into central Madrid.
Why Metro de Madrid Is Closing the Line
The closures allow safety tests ahead of full automation of Line 6, which Metro plans to run without drivers. Work began at the end of May last year with an investment of 800 million euros, and it replaces the track, signaling and power systems, according to Infobae. During the closures, two of the new automatic trains run on the closed section at low and high speeds to check how the systems behave.
All eight stations in the closed section already have platform screen doors, which open and close in step with the trains. The Comunidad de Madrid expects to finish installing the doors on the rest of the line before the end of the year. Metro expects the line’s daily ridership, now close to 400,000, to rise to 730,000 once automation is complete.
What Visitors Should Plan For
The closed stations include Moncloa, a major bus interchange, and Príncipe Pío, a rail and bus hub west of the Royal Palace. The closed section also serves Ciudad Universitaria, the main university campus area. If you are staying near Argüelles or Moncloa, or catching an intercity bus at Moncloa, allow extra time on October 3 and 4 and check whether Line 3 gets you there instead.
Metro de Madrid said it will announce future closure sections in advance. Before each weekend of your trip, check Metro de Madrid’s website for service updates, since the next closures may affect a different part of the line. The rest of the network, including the lines that serve Sol, Gran Vía and the Prado area, is not part of these closures.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Need Moncloa or Argüelles Oct 3 or 4 | Use Line 3 or the free replacement bus. |
| Travel via Príncipe Pío | Use Line 10, the Ópera branch or Cercanías there. |
| Ride Line 6 elsewhere | Trains run beyond Cuatro Caminos and Lucero. |
| Travel late at night | Replacement buses run until after 1:30 a.m. |
| Visit later in the fall | Check for more weekend closures through December. |
Eight stations closed on October 3 and 4.
Free buses follow the closed route.
More weekend closures through December.
Is Madrid Metro Line 6 closed this weekend?
Between Cuatro Caminos and Lucero on September 26 and 27, and again on October 3 and 4.
Is Moncloa station closed?
Moncloa’s Line 6 service is closed on those weekends; Line 3 is an alternative.
Are there replacement buses?
Yes, free buses from 6:00 a.m. to after 1:30 a.m.
Why is Line 6 closed?
For safety tests before the line runs without drivers.
Will there be more closures?
Yes, on weekends through December, announced in advance.
