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Barcelona Metro cuts crime by 34% despite the increase in passengers
Crime on the Barcelona Metro fell by 34% during the first half of 2026. Between January and June, 5,528 criminal offences were recorded, compared with 8,388 in the same period last year, despite continued growth in passenger numbers.
The reduction consolidates a downward trend that TMB dates back to 2019. The company attributes part of the improvement to strengthened preventive measures and coordination with Mossos d'Esquadra and other security bodies working on the network.
Video surveillance carries increasing weight. The Metro currently has more than 11,000 cameras installed both in stations and inside trains, making it possible to identify incidents, review reports and provide images to the police during investigations.
These devices also operate in real time. When a passenger uses an SOS button or asks for information from a train or station, control centres can receive images from the point where the incident is taking place and assess more quickly what kind of response is needed.
Physical surveillance completes this operation. More than 800 private-security professionals currently work on the network, in addition to the usual presence of police forces. The aim is to reinforce interchanges, busy stations and time slots where there is a greater risk of theft or conflict.
The fall in crime is especially significant because it comes while Metro use continues to grow. The network exceeded 480 million validations last year and in 2026 continues to set monthly passenger records, increasing daily pressure on stations, platforms and trains.
For people who use the underground every day, the challenge now is to maintain this trend while demand continues to increase. More cameras, greater police coordination and a security presence seek to ensure that Metro growth is not accompanied by a parallel increase in thefts and other incidents.