Transiting inside of Madrid can look like a lot of different things. Sometimes this means getting on the metro, the bus or the Cercanias (the short distance train). For many people, going to work in the morning means taking multiple means of transit and transferring in the middle of the commute. It is quite common for there to be huelgas (strikes) by the people who operate the trains, metro and buses. This can be quite disruptive, but usually means that the needs of the workers are met.
I spoke to people I know and researched about the transit system in Madrid. The Madrid transit system is very large because it has to transport over five million people daily! This includes residents and international and domestic tourists. In the city, there are over 200 bus lines, 12 metro lines, and nine Cercanias (short distance trains). Some trains come every two minutes during rush hour! During peak hours, the average waiting time to transfer is two to four minutes. During non-peak hours, trains arrive every five to ten minutes.
