EMT Madrid sets new passenger record in 2024 with 476 million travelers
POLIS member EMT Madrid has reached a historic milestone in 2024, transporting nearly 476 million passengers across its 229 municipal bus lines—a record-breaking achievement that surpasses the 2023 figure by 21.4 million users, marking a 4.71% increase.
In 2024, EMT Madrid's daytime bus services transported 462 million passengers, while night services, known as 'owls,' carried 7.3 million passengers, marking the highest number for night buses since 2007. University lines added another 5.3 million passengers to the overall total.
October 2024 stood out as the busiest month of the year, with 45.8 million passengers—a record unmatched since 2007. Similarly, 14 May set a new daily record, with 1.8 million passengers using EMT services on that single day.
The Madrid City Council activated free service periods five times in 2024, which significantly boosted ridership. Indeed, these initiatives resulted in 14.6 million passengers benefitting from free travel, including 12.7 million users on specific free lines such as 001 and 002.
Among EMT Madrid's bus lines, line 34 (Cibeles – Las Águilas) retained its position as the most popular route for the ninth consecutive year, with 857,341 passengers. It was followed by line 70 (Plaza de Castilla – Alsacia), which carried 651,832 passengers, and line 27 (Embajadores – Plaza de Castilla), with 608,438 passengers. The Circular 2 and Circular 1 routes also proved popular, with 584,909 and 581,349 passengers, respectively.
Network expansion and innovations
In 2024, EMT Madrid expanded its network with the addition of three new lines in El Pardo and Los Cármenes and a new on-demand bus service for the Fuencarral-El Pardo district.
- New lines: 164 (Moncloa – El Pardo), 179 (Plaza de Castilla – El Pardo), N31 (Moncloa – El Pardo), and 158 (Plaza de España – Los Cármenes).
- On-demand service: A flexible, app-based service for areas like Barrio del Pilar and Montecarmelo, catering to growing residential and workplace demands.
Since 2019, EMT has introduced 18 new lines, and its electrification efforts continue with 36 fully electric lines, with more to come in 2025.
Bicimad’s continued growth
The Bicimad electric bike network also saw remarkable growth in 2024, recording over 9.94 million trips—a 30.6% increase from 2023.
- Expansion: 19 new stations (totalling 630) and 248 additional bikes (7,735 total).
- User base: 572,015 registered users, with over 130,000 active users and an average of 500 new registrations per day.
The districts with the highest Bicimad usage were Centro, Arganzuela, and Chamberí, reflecting the service’s role in promoting sustainable urban mobility.
Looking ahead
As EMT Madrid celebrates its record-breaking year, the company remains committed to enhancing sustainable and efficient mobility for the city’s residents. Further electrification of the bus fleet and continued expansion of the Bicimad network are set to shape Madrid’s public transport landscape in 2025.
