C-3 (Cercanías Madrid)

C-3
A Class 447 train on a C-3 service near El Casar in June 2013.
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerAdif
LocaleCommunity of Madrid, Spain
Termini
  • El Escorial
  • Aranjuez
Stations24
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemCercanías Madrid
ServicesMadrid-Hendaye railway
Madrid-Valencia railway
Operator(s)Renfe Operadora
Rolling stockCivia 446 Series and 447 Series EMUs
History
Opened1980 (1980)
Technical
Line length106.5 km (66.2 mi)
Number of tracksDouble
Track gauge1,668 mm (5 ft 5+2132 in) Iberian gauge
Electrification3kV AC overhead line

The C-3 is a line and rail service of Cercanías Madrid commuter rail network, operated by Renfe Operadora. It runs from El Escorial northwest of Madrid to Aranjuez south of Madrid. The C-3 shares tracks for half of its length with Madrid commuter rail service line C-8 while it also shares significant parts with lines C-4, and C-7. The line has been in operation since 1980, with its current incarnation in operation since 22 September 2011.

On 5 November 2018, the C-3a service was introduced as a separation of former extended C-3 services terminating at either El Escorial or Santa María de la Alameda. The C-3a designation was formerly used for the now-closed Pinto–San Martín de la Vega branch line (es:Línea Pinto-San Martín de la Vega) branching off from Pinto to Parque Warner Madrid and San Martín de la Vega, which operated between 2002 and 2012.