Barcelona Metro History

The first two Barcelona Metro lines were built by two different companies in the 1920's: one line should connect the city centre with the district of Gràcia, and the other was planned to connect the railway lines leaving Barcelona towards the south and the north.

Gran Metro de Barcelona
After only three years of construction work, the first section of today's L3 (Green Line) opened on 30 December 1924 between Lesseps and Cataluña. In the following two years this line was extended to Liceo (now Liceu) and a second branch from Aragón (now Passeig de Gràcia) to Correos (1934) (this station was closed in 1972 and was situated between Jaume I and Barceloneta now on L4).

Barcelona's first Metro line was: Lesseps - Fontana - Diagonal - Aragón - Cataluña

Ferrocarril Metropolitano Transversal de Barcelona
The second line opened only two years later, in 1926. This line was actually designed to connect all mainline railways and therefore was built with Spanish gauge (1,672 mm). Still today, L1 (Red Line) runs parallel to RENFE (Spanish State Railways) between Catalunya and Fabra i Puig, and between Plaça de Sants and Torrassa.
The first section opened included Bordeta (out of service since 1983), Sans (now Plaça de Sants), Hostafranchs, España, Rocafort, Urgel, Universidad and Cataluña. Until 1933 this line was extended as far as Marina reaching the former railway station Estación del Norte.

Barcelona Metro Timeline (TMB lines only; only present Catalan names used):

30 Dec. 1924 - L3 Catalunya - Lesseps (Gran Metro)
01 May 1925 - L3 Fontana station
05 July 1925 - L3 Catalunya - Liceu
10 June 1926 - L1 Bordeta - Catalunya (Metro Transversal)
19 Dec. 1926 - (L4) Aragón (now Passeig de Gràcia) - Jaume I (Gran Metro branch)

01 Jul 1932 - L1 Catalunya (perm. station) - Norte (now Arc de Triomf)
01 Jul 1932 - L1 Bordeta - Santa Eulàlia
01 Apr 1933 - L1 Arc de Triomf - Marina
20 Feb 1934 - (L4) Jaume I - Correos

15 Apr 1946 - L3 Liceu - Fernando

23 Jun 1951 - L1 Marina - Clot
08 May 1953 - L1 Clot - Navas
26 Jan 1954 - L1 Navas - Sagrera
15 May 1954 - L1 Sagrera - Fabra i Puig
21 Jul 1959 - L5 Sagrera - Vilapicina

05 Oct 1967 - L5 Vilapicina - Horta
01 Mar 1968 - L3 Fernando station closed
14 Mar 1968 - L1 Fabra i Puig - Torras i Bages
14 Dec 1968 - L3 Liceu - Drassanes
03 Nov 1969 - L5 Collblanc - Diagonal

17 Jun 1970 - L3 Drassanes - Paral.lel
26 Jun 1970 - L5 Diagonal - Sagrera
20 Mar 1972 - (L4) Jaume I - Correos closed
04 Apr 1972 - (L4) Jaume I - Pg. de Gràcia closed
05 Feb 1973 - L4 Jaume I - Joanic
05 Feb 1973 - L5 Collblanc - Pubilla Cases
16 May 1974 - L4 Joanic - Guinardó
20 Jan 1975 - L3 Zona Universitària - Sants Estació (3B)
15 Jul 1975 - L3 Sants Estació - Paral.lel (3B)
15 Mar 1976 - L4 Jaume I - Barceloneta
23 Nov 1976 - L5 Pubilla Cases - Sant Ildefons
07 Oct 1977 - L4 Barceloneta - Selva de Mar

05 Jul 1980 - L1 Bordeta - Santa Eulalia closed
19 Apr 1982 - L4 Guinardó - Roquetes (now Via Júlia)
05 Jun 1982 - L3 and 3B connected
15 Oct 1982 - L4 Selva de Mar - La Pau
21 Dec 1983 - L1 Torras i Bages - Santa Coloma
23 Dec 1983 - L1 Santa Eulàlia (new station) - Torrassa
23 Dec 1983 - L5 Sant Ildefons - Cornellà (now Cornellà Centre)
22 Apr 1985 - (L4) L2 La Pau - Pep Ventura
06 Nov 1985 - L3 Lesseps - Montbau
24 Apr 1987 - L1 Torrassa - Av. Carrilet
19 Oct 1989 - L1 Av. Carrilet - Feixa Llarga (now Hospital de Bellvitge)

18 Feb 1992 - L1 Santa Coloma - Fondo
25 Sep 1995 - L2 Sant Antoni - Sagrada Família
06 Jan 1996 - L2 Sant Antoni - Paral.lel
20 Sep 1997 - L2 Sagrada Família - La Pau
27 Oct 1999 - L4 Via Júlia (formerly Roquetes) - Trinitat Nova

21 Sep 2001 - L3 Montbau - Canyelles
01 Oct 2002 - L2 La Pau - Pep Ventura became part of L2 (previously L4)
04 Aug 2003 - L4 El Maresme | Fòrum station added
14 Dec 2003 - L11 Trinitat Nova - Can Cuiàs

13 May 2007 - L8 Europa-Fira station added
04 Oct 2008 - L3 Canyelles - Trinitat Nova