MADRID'S airport metro line has now shut down as planned for major repairs, having stayed open for the recent FITUR tourism trade fair at the IFEMA exhibition centre and for Christmas and New Year.
Around 47,500 passengers a day will have to rely on a bus replacement service until April 18, but this will be free of charge for metro ticket-holders.
The airport can be reached via the outer suburban or Cercanías service, by taking train C-1 from the station Príncipe Pío, which runs straight to Terminal 4, taking in Atocha station and Nuevos Ministerios, the terminus at the opposite end of the airport line.
Otherwise, travellers can take metro Line 4 as far as the station Mar de Cristal and, from there, hop on the SE2 bus directly to Adolfo Suárez-Barajas airport.
Existing city buses include the number 200 from Avenida de América, or the 203 express service, although the latter costs €5 for a one-way trip and is less economical.
A total of 20 special buses have been thrown on and will run at the same times as the Line 8 metro train normally does, from 06.00 to 01.30 seven days a week.
Split into three main routes, the SE2 bus links Mar de Cristal station with that of Campo de las Naciones and Terminals 1 and 2 at the airport.
The SE3 bus links the stations Colombia and Pinar del Rey, and the SE4 runs from Mar de Cristal to Campo de las Naciones and Terminal 4.
Works costing around €20 million will involve replacing the platforms and repairing leaks, among other maintenance and improvement.
Until then, Line 8 – the pink one on the Madrid metro map – will be closed completely and will affect travellers who need to get to or from the stations Nuevos Ministerios, Colombia, Pinar del Rey, Mar de Cristal, Campo de las Naciones, Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3, Barajas, and Aeropuerto T-4.
Information stands have been set up at the airport and the IFEMA centre, and full information can be found on the website MetroMadrid.es, using the Twitter and Facebook addresses @Linea8metro, or via the official mobile phone App.
