SPAIN: Metro de Madrid has opted to buy two rolling stock fleets outright, ending the leasing arrangements under which they were managed.
Metro de Madrid currently leases around 60% of its rolling stock fleet of 1 369 cars. In early 2019 it was estimated that an outright purchase of these trainsets would cost the city authorities around €800m. The city and its metro operator have opted to address each contract as it gets closer to expiry, and in early December Metro de Madrid confirmed its intention to buy outright two fleets managed under contract by Ferromovil. The leases cover 684 cars of Series 3000 and 9000 with a residual value of €367m; the city will make this payment in two instalments.
Metro de Madrid believes the agreement could yield savings of up to €134m, the Ferromovil leases having been due to expire in December 2023. The small profile Series 3000 trains are used on lines 2, 3, 4 and 5, while the large-profile Series 9000s operate lines 7, 7b, 9, 10 and 12.
There is as yet no confirmation about whether the metro operator intends to buy out more leases; the so-called Plan Azul contract covering 347 cars of series 6000, 7000 and 8000 comes to an end in December 2022, while another large fleet of 302 cars is managed under the Plan Metro contract; this rental term concludes in 2029.
