Line 9 (Madrid Metro)

Costa Brava*
Mirasierra
* Herrera Oria
Barrio del Pilar
Ventilla
Plaza de Castilla
Duque de Pastrana
Pío XII
Colombia
Concha Espina
Cruz del Rayo
Avenida de América
Núñez de Balboa
Príncipe de Vergara
Ibiza
Sainz de Baranda
Estrella
Vinateros
Artilleros
Pavones
Valdebernardo
Vicálvaro
San Cipriano
Puerta de Arganda
B1   Rivas Urbanizaciones
Rivas Futura
B2   Rivas Vaciamadrid
B3   La Poveda
Arganda del Rey
(*) In project

Line 9 of the Madrid Metro opened on 31 January 1980 between Sainz de Baranda and Pavones. Later it was extended from Avenida de América to Herrera Oria on 3 June 1983, however this section was separate from the original section until the missing part from Avenida de América to Sainz de Baranda was opened on 24 February 1986. On 1 December 1998, the line was extended from Pavones to Puerta de Arganda. This part of the way was decorated each station with just one colour walls, with the useful idea of knowing the station by one look, so the people that lives in this area have less probability of passing the station because of sleepy mood after long way home. As the innovation worked it was used in many of the new stations on the suburbs all over Madrid metro net. The colours can be useful for turist but is not symbolized by it in the map yet. After Pavones old style of stone walls you can see Valdebernardo(plastic yellow), Vicálvaro(plastic soft green), San Cipriano(plastic orange)and Puerta de Arganda (plastic pink). This área is known as the Vicálvaro district, and it is common also the outsiders mistake to think that Vicálvaro metro station is somehow connected to Vicálvaro railway station, but it isn´t true. Vicálvaro railway station is connected to Puerta de Arganda station. The reason is obvious for the locals: Vicálvaro railway station is the historical railway for the town of Vicálvaro when it was not yet part of the city of Madrid. As town the railway station is ubicated far from downtown. When the city of Madrid grew and "covered" Vicálvaro,it was necessary to extend the Metro line, so Vicálvaro was the name choosed for the oldtown, and Puerta de Arganda (Door of Arganda) to the railway station,with the symbolic meaning of the beginning of the historical way of road-connection(ex-pedestrian way) between the ancestors of Vicálvaro and Arganda del Rey to give a symbolic legitimitation to the logic extension of the line. At Puerta de Arganda, an island platform was built, so passengers who required to use line 9B could do so by just crossing to the other side. Line 9B is the mostly service section from Puerta de Arganda to Arganda del Rey, which runs through mostly unpopulated areas connecting the three towns of Rivas, La Poveda and Arganda. The line runs with only two car trains and at longer intervals. The line in parts is very scenic, running through Spanish desert between the towns. Rivas Urbanizaciones and Arganda del Rey are underground with large island platforms, and Rivas Vaciamadrid and La Poveda are surface stations with side platforms. Line 9 has many plans for the future, however a station called Rivas Futura is the only one actually being built at this time. It is due to open in 2008 between Rivas Urbanizaciones and Rivas Vaciamadrid, this station will be a surface station. The proposed plans show the line should be extended north from Herrera Oria to Mirasierra, with a station called El Sacarel between. Also, between Puerta de Arganda and Rivas Urbanizaciones, there are three stations under planning. These stations shall be built when proposed building up of the current desert has finished, so a date for any of these stations is unknown. Line 9 uses mostly class 6000, however sometimes series 5000, 7000 and two series 8000 coupled together have been seen to run on this line.