Hey Becky
Any news concerning La Moraleja?
I work in El Soto de la Moraleja, I was waiting for a better solution to replace the 155 bus from Plaza Castilla.
Do you know if there is any transportation from Sanchinarro to La Moraleja?
Or they thing that the people living there are too pijos and don't need public transportation?

Nava

Nava,

According to the metro map here, La Moraleja stop is already open.

Metro Map 2007

It's on Line 10, away from Plaza de Castilla.

Shawn

Nava,
You can see the map of the new La Moraleja stop here:

http://www.metromadrid.es/redmetro/mapaZonal/mapaZonal.asp?estacionID=314

If you go to the interactive metro map on the metromadrid.com site:

http://www.metromadrid.es/redmetro/visor/plano.asp

And click on the "información de estaciones" tool in the right column, then click on any station, a window will pop up with the address of the station. In this window, there is a link to a map of the area around the station ("Ver plano zonal").

It's really useful (and, therefore, well-hidden) for the new stations, since they don't seem to show up yet on any of the mapping sites.

Thanks guys
I'll give it a try.
Now i've to find out what bus goes from that metro station to El soto de la Moraleja,C/Azalea
Shawn, are you sure you're back to U.S and not living here in Rios Rosas?

Actually, Nava, I'm here right now, IN SPIRIT. The 155 should pass by that metro stop, I am guessing. I had to take that bus years ago when I had a client who lived in La Moraleja. Don't forget that La Moraleja also has it's own bus system the L-1 - L-4, I think.

Shawn

just to apdate you, Shawn
I tried this morning to take line no' 10 to La Moraleja. It goes till Los Olivos and there you need to change train to go on.
I got off La Moraleja station and found myself near Centro Comercial Diversia on Avenida de Bruselas,Alcobendas.
From there I needed to take the L-5 bus who runs once evry 30 minutes..... so i'm back to Plaza Castilla and bus 155 and the traffic jam.


Nava

Nava,

At least you know where the metro lets you off. I'm sorry it didn't work out the way that you wanted it to, but at least you tried.

Here's another example. With the new metro stop Montecarmelo. If I still had my private student there, it would be much better taking the bus, which drops me off two blocks away from his house, rather than the metro, which is a 20 - 25 mintue walk to his house. He lives at the end of Montecarmelo towards the highway. Either way, it's good that a metro's there, but not convenient for us and where we need to go.

Shawn

Nava,

You mentioned that you had to switch trains at Tres Olivos. What was the switch like? Did you have to go through and put in your ticket for B1?

Thanks,

Shawn

Yes Shawn, I needed my B1 ticket to go through.
Nava

Well, as far as the map, it seems like a necessary thing to turn it into a more streamlined design in order to fit all the new stations and lines. People say that even the old map is not entirely geographically correct and it might be a bit confusing at first because we’re used to it, but I’m sure we’ll all get used to the new one as well. And let me continue by saying that I think the Madrid subway system is in my opinion fantastic and much better than many others I’ve seen in Europe and the US. However, there are a couple of things that I’m upset about right now:
1) there’s so much new construction and new lines and stations, which makes the politicians look good, but some of the older lines and older stations suck and they’re not doing anything to make them better, to have newer trains or more trains during peak hours. I use line 6 daily and line 5 most days too and those two have so many problems and delays and get so uncomfortably crowded during rush hour and the trains are still taking 4-6 minutes to come instead of 2-3, which is what one usually expects then and what one gets in other lines. Just this morning, as I got to the platform it was about 5-6 persons deep and a train was just arriving and it was so crowded almost no one could get in because this is not a station where tons of people get off. Then it leaves and the announcement flashes that the next train will be there in four minutes, and of course it was just as equally crowded, and this kind of thing happens just way too often. If you stand at the platform at Principe Pío, where line 6 is on one side and line 10 on the other, you can easily see that usually two to three line 10 trains will stop for every line 6 train and you can also compare the appearance of the trains themselves and see what I’m talking about.
2) now one has to pay an extra euro to get out of the subway at the airport. I think that is wrong and there shouldn’t be an extra charge for that, particularly when it has not been the case for years since we’ve had metro service into the airport. I can understand that certain distances require different charges but I think it’s unfair that they’re doing that now and that it’s only for the airport, not the Barajas town stop so it’s not a matter of distance. Also if you have the monthly pass for area A you don’t need to pay that extra charge, so it just seems like an arbitrary charge targeting tourists or people who are not getting the monthly pass. I do some months but not always and I already thought it was unfair that when I have the monthly pass I can take the Cercanías trains within the center, like between Recoletos and Nuevos Ministerios, but with a regular 10-trip metro pass you can’t.
Maybe I’m wrong and not considering some aspects of the economy of the system, but it felt good to rant away about it for a bit. What do you all think?

Lena,

I totally understand what you mean about #1. That line 5 always had problems and so many people live on that line. One would think that a major renovation would be due. It's nice that they are uppdating the stations and making them look better, but, my goodness. Can you at leats fix it so there's not that many delays?

#2 has blown me out of the water. I can't believe that one.

Shawn

SHEEEEEETTTTT!!!

rude awakening this morning.

first trip to the airport this morning since the new extension to t4 opened.

should have guessed somehow we would pay for the construction but crazy how much they jacked it up.

now you have to pay a 1 euro supplement BOTH to and from the airport (t2 and t4) if you use the "metrobus" tickets. so, what used to cost 2 trips of a 10 trip ticket (one there and one back) now runs 2 trips + 2 euros airport supplement

if you have a bono mensual you need to pay no supplements.

makes me truly consider getting a bono mensual for zone a as i go to the airport to greet clients quite a bit and at 3+ euros a shot with the 10 trip tix, it could become more expensive than the 40.45 monthly tick.

saludos,
jer...

Jer,

That does get to be expensive when you add it all up. So, is this a way to FORCE people to get a monthly metro pass, and where do those extra 2 Euros go? Things just get crazy as soon as I leave.

Shawn

well, i just looked and i have 8 trips (8 round trips) for the airport thus month so far for business.

that would cost 64 cents per trip (10 trip metrobus is 6.40 euros) plus 16 euros for the supplements.

total 21.12 euros.

that plus the average of 2 more metrobus tix at 6.40 per (i usually use 3 per month, 30 trips total on metro and bus) comes to 33.92 euros.

for another 7 euros (6.65 to be exact) i can have the unlimited a zone bono.

will see how the airport deliveries pan out and if i get just 2 more, i will go for a bono next month.

i guess the 2 euros go to paying for all the metro expansion going on (or to line gallardon's pockets )

soon it will be like the london tube, 4 pound (6 euros) for a single ride ticket

saludos,
jer...

I told you so, that's what I was ranting and raving about on my message above. Sucks, doesn't it? But when you think about it, getting unlimited subway and bus use for a whole month for fortysome Euros is not such a bad deal, specially if you use the subway or buses daily. Reason all this bothers me is that some months I don't use the services enough to make it worthwhile to get the monthly pass and I don't like the limitations that doing this implies.