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Barcelona faces a summer of closures on several metro lines
Barcelona faces a difficult summer for travelling by metro. Improvement works, track renewals and accessibility works will force the closure of key sections and stations during July, August and early September, affecting thousands of users every day.
The most significant closure will be on the L1, the red line, between Florida and Plaça de Sants. The disruption will begin on 17 July and last until 28 August, affecting one of the busiest routes connecting L’Hospitalet, Sants and central Barcelona.
TMB will provide a special bus service to cover the affected section, although passengers will be advised to check each journey before setting off. In many cases, combining other metro lines, Rodalies or FGC services, or walking between nearby stations may be quicker than relying solely on the replacement bus.
The works on the L1 will renew the tracks between Santa Eulàlia and Mercat Nou, an intervention designed to reduce vibration and noise on a particularly sensitive section because of nearby homes. The planned budget is 11.5 million euros, and between 30,000 and 40,000 people could be affected each day.
The L9/L10 Nord will also see changes for almost the entire summer. From 25 June to 30 August, services will be suspended between La Sagrera and Onze de Setembre. Then, between 31 August and 6 September, the closure will be extended to Bon Pastor.
This intervention prepares the network for future connections to the central section of the L9/L10, one of Barcelona's most eagerly awaited metro projects. The work has a budget of 22.6 million euros and will affect around 3,300 daily users, with replacement buses and recommended routes using other lines.
On the L4, Verdaguer station will remain closed until 30 August. Trains will continue to run on the yellow line, but will not stop at this station while three lifts, new escalators and improvements to eliminate changes in level are installed.
There will also be changes at Catalunya, one of the network's busiest stations. Until 7 September, the connecting passage between the L1 and L3 will be closed for work to remove asbestos hidden behind the walls. During this period, passengers will have to go out onto the street to change lines.
The impact will be felt particularly during peak hours, on commutes and on journeys towards Sants, the centre and the north of the city. Although summer reduces some of the demand, many residents will continue to depend on the metro to get to work, connect with trains or travel between neighbourhoods.
The key will be to plan before setting off. This summer, checking the service status, allowing extra time and having an alternative route could save passengers waits, detours and crowds. The works promise a more accessible and quieter network, but over the coming weeks getting around Barcelona will involve more changes than usual.