ON JANUARY 22 a package of measures to ease overcrowding and improve service reliability on Madrid Metro Line 6 was announced by Elvira Rodr?guez, Minister for Transport & Infrastructure in the Madrid regional government. On the busiest section of Line 6 between Plaza El?ptica and Avenida de Am?rica, 50 staff are being deployed at 12 stations to ensure ’an even distribution of passengers within the cars’ and that services depart promptly. Around 32% of delays have been caused by door problems resulting from crush loading, and a team of 16 fitters are now on hand to make repairs in service. To increase capacity by one third on the busiest section, extra trains are being deployed between 07.30 and 09.00 on weekdays. New stabling sidings to accommodate four trains as well as an additional traction substation have been provided as part of the k51m project to build a new station at Arganzuela-Planetario, which opened on January 26. A k52m programme to install automatic signalling at Laguna depot was due for completion during the first fortnight of March. By the end of the year Line 6 is to receive six Series 7000 trainsets, each offering 10% more capacity than the Series 5000 currently deployed on the route, and Madrid Metro is planning to call tenders for 147 new cars to replace the oldest vehicles.

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