Besides the extensive metro network, Madrid also has a dense network of suburban trains called Cercanías. On some routes a metro-like service is provided, e.g.

- 10-12 trains per hour between Atocha and Chamartín
- 6 trains per hour from Atocha to Alcalá de Henares
- 6 trains per hour on line C-5 between Móstoles-El Soto and Fuenlabrada
- 4 trains per hour between Atocha and Las Rozas via Príncipe Pío

With the opening of the second city tunnel between Chamartín and Atocha on 10 July 2008 (the centrally located station at Sol opened on 28 June 2009), the network was restructured and the following lines are currently operated (mostly every 30 minutes):

C-1: Príncipe Pío - Atocha - Chamartín - Aeropuerto T4
- Fuente de la Mora opened on 24 March 2011 as the first stage of a rail link to Barajas Aeropuerto T4, which was inaugurated on 23 Sept 2011.

C-2: Chamartín - Atocha - Guadalajara

C-3: El Escorial - Chamartín - Sol - Atocha - Aranjuez
- along Spain's second oldest railway line from 1851.

  C-3a: Pinto - San Martín de la Vega
     - 15.3 km branch opened on 4 April 2002 to serve a new amusement park, but due to low ridership, it closed ten years later.
   

C-4: Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes / Colmenar Viejo - Chamartín - Sol - Atocha - Parla

C-5: Móstoles-El Soto - Atocha - Humanes
- running entirely on separate tracks in ATO mode, with trains every few minutes during peak hours and every 10 minutes during normal daytime service (with 8 underground stations).
- The western leg was from Aluche to Móstoles replaced a former narrow-gauge line to Villaviciosa de Odón.
- 1 Aug 2002 - station Las Retamas added.
- Extended from Fuenlabrada to Humanes (6.2km) on 27 Feb 2004.
- 9 June 2004 - station Parque Polvoranca added.
- every 10 minutes (every other trains continues from Fuenlabrada to Humanes)

C-7: Fuente de la Mora - Atocha - Príncipe Pío - Las Rozas - Chamartín - Atocha - Alcalá de Henares
- running through the north-south tunnel twice.
- the underground link from Príncipe Pío to Delicias and on the surface to Atocha (so-called Pasillo Verde) opened in 1996 taking advantage of a former freight link.

C-8: Atocha - Chamartín - Villalba - El Escorial / Cercedilla

C-9: Cercedilla - Cotos
- actually a mountain railway, metre-gauge, opened in 1923.
- every 60-120 minutes

C-10: Villalba - Príncipe Pío - Atocha - Chamartín - Fuente de la Mora