Residents of the Madrid neighbourhood of Rejas (San Blas‑Canillejas district) are renewing their call for a direct connection to Metro de Madrid and the Cercanías. According to the neighbourhood, it can take up to 45 minutes at peak times to travel the roughly three kilometres out of the area; residents say these delays disrupt daily life and create a heavy reliance on cars.
Public transport links are currently provided mainly by three municipal bus routes operated by EMT (77, 88 and 167); however, heavy traffic often causes delays on these services. The president of the Asociación Vecinal del Barrio de Las Rejas, Ana María Navarro, has again called for the network to be expanded, suggesting extensions to existing Metro lines or a new Cercanías station as possible options.
The relevant authorities point to technical and planning requirements: a direct Metro extension would involve substantial tunnelling and construction work. At the same time, part of a specific measure has already been formally set in motion: the state rail infrastructure operator Adif put out to tender in spring 2026 the preparation of studies and projects for new Cercanías stations, including Las Rejas station. The “Línea de contorno” project, which includes Las Rejas, is the subject of feasibility and siting studies.
Responsibility for detailed planning and construction decisions rests with several bodies: Adif for infrastructure and project contracts, the Consorcio Regional de Transportes for regional coordination, and Ayuntamiento de Madrid for urban transport measures and bus services. The city council has already adjusted services by adding or strengthening bus routes, but considers a rail solution a longer-term planning measure.
The demands from Rejas are locally rooted and are accompanied by an ongoing tender process. Whether and when this will lead to a rail connection depends on technical assessments, funding decisions and further planning procedures. Until then, reducing journey times remains a political and planning challenge for many residents.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).