Madrid Public Transport

I enjoyed my few trips on the teleferico in the past couple of years.

Principe Pio station and behind it The Royal Palace and the Cathedral of Almudena, taken from a Teleferico cabin.

I just liked the lines of the arches here! And the yellow platform edging.

We made a partially visible message on the wall here: '01/11/2017 Hiking Madrid'! The tunnel is 3 km long and on a curve, so the light at the end of the tunnel soon disappears! I occasionally walk with Hiking Madrid and today was the All Souls Day holiday walk called the Walk of the Day of the Dead. It followed this disused railway line UNDER La Sierra de La Cabrera. But this tunnel hides a sad tale of forced labour under the Franco regime. The tunnel was dug by prisoners, many of them political prisoners, over time and the railway line was finally opened in 1968. It was never financially viable and the last recession killed it off. It closed in 2012. When I first started walking in the Sierra de La Cabrera in 2011, I saw the trains occasionally and I hadn't realised the line had closed until this walk along the line and through the tunnels was advertised!

Because the tunnel curves, the distant point of light at the end isn't there, making it very dark and spooky almost immediately.

A famous bridge in Madrid built to take the first trains to the north in the 19th century. Here it crosses the Rio Manzanares. Much shelled in the Civil War as it was effectively in no-man's land for the best part of three years. But it survived!

Lines on multiple levels and open to view make for a dramatic scene.

There is a logical explanation for this sculpture which was noted on my Pano upload of this shot but which was stolen by Google and I can't now remember what it is! Anyway I find the effect quite surreal!

Typical of the Madrid metro designs in its great expansive phase from about 1995 to the onset of the recession and, deliberately over-edited by me, this represents a positive, thrusting, energetic attitude that faltered somewhat when the recession struck. However the legacy has left a metro network that, in large parts. exudes a dynamic upbeat feel that is very seductive. It still needs to be paid for, however!

Accidental shot on the Madrid metro. But I was pleased that I had polished my shoes that morning! It's like your Mum making sure you always had clean underwear on 'because, you never know, you might be hit by a bus'!!!!

This is pleasing artwork to me and makes worthwhile use of material which would otherwise have been discarded.

Opera metro station wall mural, Madrid. I think in 'z' please.

Príncipe Pío metro and mainline railway station, Madrid

Again, Google stole my notes on this old Pano shot and I initially forgot which metro station this belongs to. My friend Campayo came to the rescue and reminded me that it is Pueblo Nuevo metro station! However I have lost my notes regarding the artist. Gato Land please help! I know you knew the artist!

Again, Google stole my notes on this old Pano shot and I initially forgot which metro station this belongs to. My friend Campayo came to the rescue and reminded me that it is Pueblo Nuevo metro station! However I have lost my notes regarding the artist. Gato Land please help! I know you knew the artist!

Escalators at the metro station. June 2013

March 2012. A bit of fun.

A well-preserved metro station, one of the first built in Madrid (1919) on Linea 1 and de-commissioned in 1966 as it was on a bend and the new longer trains couldn't handle that. Now a museum with free entry, so full marks to those responsible! The museum opened in 2008 but closed soon after as part of economy saving efforts in the recession. It re-opened in 2013. Gal was a well known cosmetics company with it's headquarters and factory in this Madrid district of Chamberi.