How Madrid built its metro cheaply
Madrid significantly expanded its metro system between 1995 and 2007 at a fraction of the cost of similar projects in other global cities. The success is attributed to low-cost construction methods and regional administrative autonomy.
Why it matters
Madrid's model offers a blueprint for urban planners worldwide struggling with the high costs of modern infrastructure development.
In 1995, the Madrid Metro was 71 miles (114 kilometers) long. That would make it the 51st longest metro in the world today, reasonable considering Madrid is the 57th largest city in the world by population. Yet 1995 was the beginning of a revolutionary building spree. Over the course of the next 12 years, the metro grew by 126 miles (203 kilometers), nearly tripling in length. This expansion made it one of the world’s fastest-growing metros, on par with Beijing and Shanghai. Today, Madrid has the sixth longest metro outside of China, and the third longest in Europe after London and Moscow.
The article provides an objective analysis of urban planning and infrastructure economics.
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