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 July 1932 - L1 Catalunya (perm. station) - Norte (now Arc de Triomf)
01 July 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 June 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 July 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 June 1970 - L3 Drassanes - Paral.lel
26 June 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 July 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 July 1980 - L1 Bordeta - Santa Eulalia closed
19 Apr 1982 - L4 Guinardó - Roquetes (now Via Júlia)
05 June 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 Sept 1995 - L2 Sant Antoni - Sagrada Família
06 Jan 1996 - L2 Sant Antoni - Paral.lel
20 Sept 1997 - L2 Sagrada Família - La Pau
27 Oct 1999 - L4 Via Júlia (formerly Roquetes) - Trinitat Nova

21 Sept 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
13 Dec 2009 - L9 Can Zam - Can Peixauet
18 Apr 2010 - L9/L10 Bon Pastor - Gorg / Can Peixauet
26 June 2010 - L9/L10 Sagrera - Bon Pastor
11 July 2010 - L2 Pep Ventura - Badalona Pompeu Fabra
30 July 2010 - L5 Horta - Vall d'Hebron
19 Sept 2011 - L9 Santa Rosa station added
12 Feb 2016 - L9 Sud Zona Universitària - Aeroport T1
08 Sept 2018: L10 Sud Can Tries|Gornal - Foc (2.4 km)
02 Mar 2019: L10 Sud Provençana station added
23 Nov 2019: L10 Sud Ciutat de la Justícia added

01 Feb 2020: L10 Sud Foc - Zona Franca (1.7 km)
25 July 2021: L5 Ernest Lluch station added
07 Nov 2021: L10 Sud Zona Franca - ZAL/Riu Vell (2.4 km)