The assembly work for the new track of the C-4b line of Cercanías Madrid has begun, marking a crucial phase in the railway extension that will connect Colmenar Viejo and Soto del Real. This project, with a global investment of 75 million euros, aims to bring the train service closer to the Sierra Norte and optimize the daily mobility of thousands of citizens towards the metropolitan area.
Heavy machinery is already operating in the vicinity of the Soto del Real station, from where installation work will progress southwards to link with Colmenar Viejo. This construction stage involves the placement of sleepers, kilometers of steel rails, and the ballast bed, essential components for the new infrastructure.
After completing the foundation of the railway platform over the old, disused route, which extends for more than 10 kilometers, the project enters a new phase. Previous work included earthmoving and widening the platform to 13 meters for future double tracks, as well as preparing the foundation layers.
The project has also prioritized environmental rigor, adapting structures and renewing transversal drainage. Specific passages for fauna have been created, and progress is being made in the construction of platforms and the drilling of the underpass at the Soto del Real station. Adif is deploying control, command, signaling, communications, and energy facilities.
This extension is part of the Madrid Commuter Plan, with an investment of 75 million euros to extend the railway service to Soto del Real and its area of influence. Tasks include remodeling the platform, assembling the new track, and adapting facilities for commercial operation.
In later phases, the line's electrification and the renovation of the historic station building in Soto del Real, which will be named Soto Sur, are planned. A new adjacent building for catering areas, a parking lot to encourage intermodality, and renewals of pedestrian access and the surrounding landscape will also be constructed.
The completion of the C-4b line will significantly enhance public transport options in the northern corridor of the Community of Madrid, promoting more efficient, accessible, and sustainable mobility. The goal is to facilitate rapid, fluid, and completely safe interconnection for residents of Soto del Real and the Sierra Norte with the Madrid metropolitan area, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 9.
