These are the seven trains that will reduce journey times on Granada metro from September

Granada city's metro will have eight new trains to cover the extension of the line through Churriana and Las Gabias. In the meantime, these vehicles will be used to increase frequency and reduce waiting times. At rush hour, trains will run every six minutes instead of the current eight. In addition two trains can be coupled, doubling the capacity of each journey in order to clear certain stops more smoothly during festivals and events.

The trains have been manufactured specifically for the Granada metro. They are more modern and comfortable than the current ones and seven of them are already in the metro depot with the final one due to be delivered on 23 May.

The new trains are expected to be put into operation from September, following testing and the training of new drivers. The new trains are Urbos 100 and have a beak-shaped head, something that will distinguish them from the current fleet, which is seven years old.

Testing has already started and is taking place in the early hours of the morning and without passengers when the usual trains aren't running. Other areas such as comfort are still to be tested. The trains are already running at an average speed of 20 kilometres per hour, similar to commercial operation.

The fleet will have 40 per cent more seats thanks to the eight new vehicles and provision will be significantly improved, with 23 trains in operation.

The next step is the pre-authorisation test, which consists of simulating the commercial operation, reproducing all the characteristics of the service (travel times, station stop times, timetables, passing intervals). The characteristics of the infrastructure must be taken into account: most of the route is overground where the metro coexists with traffic.

"Our objective is the incorporation of new units, which we hope will take place in the months of September and October, by which time it will be possible to improve the transit interval and increase transport capacity," said the councillor for development, Rocío Díaz.

The new trains have similar dimensions to the current ones, with a length of 33.05 metres and a maximum width of 2.65 metres. The ceiling height is 2.77 metres.

The changes are minimal: they have a very similar size and a more modern line, but maintain the corporate image with illustrations inspired by Granada. Inside, seats have been redistributed and user information screens have been incorporated, as well as some supports for standing passengers and armrests. Drivers will have new aids and the systems will improve operating operations.

The Urbos 100 is an evolution of the Urbos 3, with a more comfortable design, improvements in terms of safety and energy efficiency - more autonomy for driving on sections without catenary - and also with improvements in passenger information systems.

The expansion of the Granada metro train fleet has involved an investment of 40 million euros, co-financed with REACT-EU funds. These new trains will both improve the current service and provide rolling stock for the southern extension of the Granada metro, currently under construction between Armilla, Churriana de la Vega and Las Gabias.

The Granada metro started running in September 2017 with 15 trains running between 26 stops from Albolote and Armilla.