© Josep Maria Sagarra / Arxiu Nacional de Catalunya
King Alfonso XIII presiding the inauguration of the Transversal metro works, now line 1, at Plaça d’Espanya on 8th June 1922.
Urban underground electric trains reached Barcelona ninety years ago, on 30th December 1924, to provide a solution to a problem which arises at some point in all advanced urban societies: how to improve mobility for an increasing population concentrated in growing areas while freeing space in streets overwhelmed by overground transport.
For the first time, the Gran Metro joined Plaça de Catalunya and Plaça de Lesseps underground. The line – just a fraction of the enormous network planned initially – covered a 2,741 metre-long route with four stations, which was to become line 3.
In the following articles we review the early plans of the Barcelona metro and their development; we visit tunnels and stations to reveal curiosities, anecdotes, and legends as well as explaining the advances that were added to the metro to bring it up to the level of intelligence that the city prides itself on.
- The metro speaks, Josep Maria Espinàs
- They used to say Barcelonians hated underground travel, Josep María Rovira Ragué
- An underground history, Joan Coll / Manuel Marina
- At the forefront of future metros, Ramon Malla / Oriol Pàmies
- Video: A guided tour through the ninety years of metro
- Video: The “ghost” stations of Via Laietana