Metro Madrid Advertising

This ad is from 2006.

The Madrid Metro is responsible for some of the best TV commercials (‘anuncios’) shown in Spain. But I’ve said this before.

Subway Madrid – Life From Underground

Advertising for the Madrid Metro is some of the most creative in the world. This television ad is being used currently. Some of the buildings and places you see are instantly recognisable to anyone who knows the city.

Madrid’s New Metro Map

Actually, it’s not so new – the redesigned map for Madrid’s underground public travel system – El Metro – has been out for a couple of months now, but I thought it was worth a post anyway. The re-design was prompted by the rapid growth of the Metro, which has added some 81 stations and 87 kilometres of tracks in less than 40 years, representing a 30% increase and making it the third largest underground system in the world – a fact of which they’re very proud. The new map is based on the London Underground’s iconic version whereby actual, or real, distances are subverted in the cause of clarity. The colours of the different lines remain the same with the addition of a pink colour for the new light-railway (the ML – Metro Light) in the West of the city, but the other main change is that the plan is represented with 90 degree vertical and horizontal lines at right-angles, as you can hopefully see in the piccie. Click here to see a better, full version of the new map

Madrid Metro

Let’s go down – down to the underground. The Madrid Metro is very well run, generally tidy and the train carriages are clean. You get buskers in the tourist area stations and there are escalators too, just like London. It’s only 1 Euro for 1 viaje (trip) and that trip can be wherever you want – 1 stop or 30. There’s also a ten-trip carnet option or a monthly pass option but at the moment I’m too embarassed with my Spanish (or, let’s admit it, too scared) to try and ask for one at the ticket office. Some of the larger stations also boast video screens to keep commuters occupied and some of the newer stations (they’re still adding routes and lines as I write) are quite space age – you know, lots of tinted glass, whizzy lifts and neon signs and stuff. Apparently it’s the second largest metro network in Europe after London at about 280 km with 280 stations. The UrbanRail.net website has some good info about it if you want to know more.