With the 90th anniversary of the Barcelona Metro, the underground railway is preparing a series of events which will remind us of its past and show us its future.
The metropolitan railway of Barcelona links some of the best areas of Catalonia and recalls a large number of stories which have come to light thanks to this celebration.
With a network which stretches over 102.6km and 141 stations, the Barcelona metro is in a great state.
All kinds of activities will be offered for both users of the metro and those simply succumbing to their nostalgia, allowing anyone to find out a bit more. And it won’t just scratch the surface of the subject, but much more.
90 Years of the Barcelona Metro
This year the 90th anniversary of the Barcelona Metro is being celebrated. The first route on the underground linked together the Catalunya and Lesseps stations, the opening of which was inaugurated on the 30th December 1924.
Over the next few months, various events recognising this anniversary will take place. However, the institutional event will be celebrated in September, with the extraordinary journey of one of the classic trains of the Barcelona metro. It will travel along a route between the Sagrada Familia and Sant Antoni stations, stopping for a little longer than usual at the stations in between.
The release of a commemorative book as well as various exhibitions and even a guided tour will reveal stories and anecdotes about the second oldest metro system in Spain.
The New Challenge for Discovery Underground
Not missing out on the celebrations, Discovery MAX will take over the Barcelona Metro to offer a unique challenge to the bravest of runners: a race around the underground tunnels.
After the success of the last event, Discovery Underground is returning to the passages. This time, 300 lucky participants will be able to run 10km, taking a route from Universitat to Gorg on Line 2. This will take place in the earliest hours of the morning on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th August.
This is a unique event which will be giving runners in Barcelona and around the world sleepless nights. The run will unfold on the very metro network which transports a million passengers every day.
Un reto único en el mundo que tendrá en vela a muchos runners de dentro y fuera de Barcelona. El trayecto tendrá un despliegue a la altura de una red de metro que transporta cada día a un millón de pasajeros.
Curiosities of the Metro
The Barcelona underground has 12 ghost stations. Some were never in service, others were abandoned as the underground network gradually grew.
Some interesting cases include that of two stations of Line 4. One of them was the Banc station, found under the headquarters of the Caixa Catalunya, which used to hold the Bank of Spain, in the in the Plaza de Antoni Maura. Urban legend has it that the train carrying money to the would go under the Via Laietana to the very vault of the Bank but was never officially inaugurated. Nearby, the Correus station did in fact open in 1934. Its mission was to bring its users closer to the Estación de França, but it ended up being closed because the Barceloneta station was in such close proximity.
Between the Sagrada Familia and Hospital de Sant Pau stations, the Gaudi Station was built. But its inauguration never came, and the most we ever see is the light of some advertisement when you train passes through.
More centrally, the Avinguda de la Llum station was once found by the Plaza Catalunya, on Las Ramblas. It was never used, despite the fanfare surrounding the project, which planned to include an entire underground city, 175m long and 10m wide. It would’ve been the first of its type in Europe.
Legends and realities come together on a means of transport which covers miles and miles every day. Stories of the Barcelona Metro.
