Line 5 (Madrid Metro)
Line 5 has been a part of the Madrid Metro since 5 June 1968. It is the fourth most used line of the Madrid metro, transporting 64 million passengers a year. It is 27 kilometers long.
Line 5 also contains the only above ground platform in the Madrid Metro, at its station Aluche. Aluche is also the only station were the metro is above the Cercanías commuter train, which is normally the other way round.
Line 5 was opened on 5 June 1968 and originally ran between Callao and Carabanchel, with the Carabanchel station also running with what was then called Line S (for Suburbano).
On 2 March 1970, the line was extended from Callao to Ciudad Lineal, however the section between Ventas and Ciudad Lineal was opened as part of line 2 in 1964.
In 1976, section of Line S Carabanchel - Aluche was transferred to the line in order to provide easier transfer to downtown to new railroad line to Alcorcón and Móstoles, now part of Cercanías C-5 line. On 28 May 1980 the line was extended from Ciudad Lineal to Canillejas.
On the 27 October 1999, Eugenia de Montijo station was added between Aluche and Carabanchel. The station is on the tunnel mouth of the line and is therefore overground.
The mostly overground section between Aluche and Casa de Campo was handed over to Line 5 after Line 10 was extended south from Casa de Campo on 22 May 2002. On 24 November 2006, a two stop extension from Canillejas to Alameda de Osuna was opened.
In the future, Line 5 is projected to be extended one stop north from Alameda de Osuna to Corralejos, where it will meet Line 8, however a new station will have to be built here to connect with line 5. Line 5 uses 6-car trains of mainly class 2000B, however there are a few class 2000As running on the line. It was the last line built in a narrow profile and gauge.
Line 5 was closed during the summer of 2017 to undergo a renovation. The renovation lasted 62 days and cost an estimated €66.5 million. Among the changes, more than 256,000 meters of signalling cables were replaced, along with 42,000 meters of fiber optic cable, 68,000 meters of lighting, and 18,000 meters of radiating cable.
The above ground island platform at Aluche
The terminal station at Casa de Campo
Coordinates: 40°25′58″N 3°40′59″W / 40.4328°N 3.6831°W
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