Barcelona will face major metro disruption this summer, with works affecting the L1 and L9 lines, plus Verdaguer and Plaça de Catalunya stations. Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) says the timing takes advantage of the usual drop in passenger numbers during the school holidays.
The works are due to start later than in previous years so they do not clash with major events such as the Tour de France, which begins in Barcelona in early July. Laia Bonet, deputy mayor and president of TMB, said these are “very important maintenance works, some very complex, that require unavoidable cuts to address them”.
L1 will be the biggest disruption. From 17 July to 28 August, Torrassa, Santa Eulàlia and Mercat Nou will be closed on the stretch between La Florida and Plaça de Sants. TMB estimates the closure will affect 43,000 daily users in July and about 36,000 on weekdays in August. The work includes renewing tracks on a century-old section, changing three tracks at once, and replacing the catenary system, with an investment of €11.5 million.
Passengers are being advised to use the L10, which also stops at Torrassa, or the L5 at Plaça de Sants. The FGC L8 line will also adjust its frequency, and a shuttle bus will be available for people with reduced mobility. More information on the network can be found on the news tag page and on the official TMB website.
L9 works will affect the area around La Sagrera and Onze de Setembre. The closure starts on 25 June and runs until 30 August, with an extra 11-day closure later extending to Bon Pastor for train testing without passengers. The works, budgeted at €22.6 million, are part of the long-running L9 project and are meant to adapt the shaft and track layout for the future central section of the line, which is due to open four new stations by the end of 2027. The Generalitat, which is responsible for the project, plans to meet residents in June to explain the works.
TMB says the L9 closure will affect 3,200 daily users in July and 2,300 in August. Alternative routes include the L1 and L2 lines, plus bus routes H8, 34 and 126. An additional shuttle bus will also be provided. Details on the wider project are available on the Generalitat de Catalunya website.
Verdaguer station will close for eight weeks from 1 July to 31 August, although trains will pass through without stopping. The closure is part of accessibility works that began in January last year and form the first phase of adapting the interchange for the L4 line, and later the L5. The project has an €8.6 million budget and will continue until 2027, when lifts and escalators are due to be installed.
During the summer phase, steps will be removed, the lobby floor levelled and platforms raised to reduce the gap between train and platform. The closure is expected to affect about 6,500 daily users in July and 4,800 in August, who will need to use Joanic or Girona for L4 access. The connecting corridor, which has been closed since last October for the same works, will reopen once the station work is complete.
From 6 July, TMB will also begin work at Plaça de Catalunya station to improve the connecting corridor between the L1 and L3 lines. The main task is to remove asbestos hidden behind existing panels. Bonet said the asbestos is encapsulated and no longer poses any risk to users. After that, the corridor will be renovated with new walls, flooring, ceiling work and lighting upgrades.
During the closure, passengers will need to transfer above ground, leaving the station and tapping in again. TMB says ticket machines will be adjusted so users are not charged for the second tap. Full service updates are expected to be published by TMB as the works progress.
