Madrid Chamartin

Our guide to Madrid Chamartin station explains what to look out for when using the station to arrive and depart in Madrid by train.

At busy times Madrid Chamartin can be a somewhat chaotic station from which to take a train.

It’s theoretically simple, as most of the facilities at the station and the access to the trains is all housed within one concourse.

However, the middle of the concourse now houses food/drink counters, shops and the elevators that connect the concourse to the train.

Therefore the sight-lines across the large space are compromised – hence it's a confusing space to navigate.

Also at busy times the concourse struggles to cope with the crowds waiting for and queueing for the long distance ‘larga distancia’ trains.

Long queues inevitably build up for the ticket checks carried out at the entrances to the vias (tracks/platforms) that the AVE and Alvia trains depart from – and Charmatin wasn’t designed for this scenario.

Four Things Worth Knowing About Madrid Chamartin train station:

1: One important facility which isn’t housed in the main concourse at Chamartin is the Consignia (left luggage) office.

It’s housed in a separate building across the street.

Use the exit from the main concourse which is opposite vias 16 and 17.

2: Chamartin station is lcoated particularly far from Madrid city centre.

It's around 2km north of the heart of Madrid - the Puerta del Sol city square.

So taking a Cercanias or Metro train to/from Madrid Chamartin can be a big money saver.

3: Madrid Chamartin is the station you need to head to if you will heading north from the Spanish capital by train.

Though some of the Altaria and non-high speed trains to destinations south of Madrid commence their journeys at Chamartin before calling at Atocha.

Also some Alvia train services between north Spain and south-east Spain call at Chamartin before going on to call at Atocha.

So unless you happen to be commencing a journey in the Chamartin areas, you'll have a quicker end-to-end journey if you head to Atocha to join these trains.

Hence the information on this Chamartin station guide doesn't include these trains.

4: When looking at the Madrid metro map ‘Pinar-Charmatin’ station is not the metro stop at Chamartin train station.

Instead you’re looking for the ‘Chamartin’ stop to the left of it – the white circle served by line 1 and line 10.

The exits from the via (platform/track) will be beyond the front of the trains.

There are escalators up to the concourse, which is where the exits and all other trains can be accessed from.

Behind the escalators are somewhat hidden lifts/elevators that can also take you up to the concourse, but when were last at Chamartin they were only available to travellers requiring mobility assistance.

To The City Centre:

Chamartin is located to the north of Madrid city centre, it’s 2km away from the Puerta De Sol square in the heart of the city

If you will be heading to central Madrid, the best public transport option is usually to take a Cercanias train – faster than the Metro, though they serve fewer stations and locations.

Once you have ascended up into the concourse had over to the right to access the Cercanias trains – and the metro.

You will need to buy a ticket for the Cercanias trains from the red ticket machines.

The ticket machines have an English translation option - but the names of the tickets remain in Spanish - you will need to purchase an 'Adult Ina' ticket. 

All Cercanias trains heading to the city centre call at Nuevos Ministerios (in the main shopping area) and Atocha stations.

Trains on lines C3 and C4 call at Sol station, while those on lines C1, C2, C7, C8 and C10 call at Recoletos.

At Charmartin the line C3 and C4 trains depart from vias (platforms/tracks) 2 and 3.

The trains on lines C1, C2, C7, C8 and C10 depart from vias (platforms/tracks) 8 and 9.

The departure details of the Cercanias trains tend to be confirmed only a few mins before departure.

So if you’re heading to Nuevos Ministerios or Atocha, the easiest option is to head to vias (platforms/tracks) 8 and 9 – and then take the first train to arrive at via 8 OR 9.