Running through the tunnels of the Barcelona metro. The little crime that every metro user has once imagined will become a reality from next December, when the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Barcelona metro begins.
It will be just one of the many activities with which the Barcelona metro wants to celebrate its centenary in style, with a program that will last until the end of 2025 and which include activities such as visits to ghost metro stations, exhibitions of historic trains to a night race along the tracks.
Ghost stations, Barcelona’s great subway treasures
One of the attractions of this celebration will undoubtedly be the visit to abandoned stations or, much better, ghost stations. For the first time, the people of Barcelona will be able to explore places that are normally inaccessible, such as the mythical ghost stations of Gaudí or Correus, unused stops that are scattered throughout the Barcelona subsoil.
But these are not the only unusual places that can be visited. It will also be possible to access the simulators where drivers are trained, the emblematic metro control center and the curious spiral staircase of Urquinaona station.
In addition, highlights include an immersive virtual reality journey at the Espai Mercè Sala at Diagonal station and an exhibition on the history of the metro at the Palau Robert. Three commemorative books will also be published: a story illustrated by Pilarín Bayés for children, a photographic compilation and a volume on the role of women workers in the metro since its inauguration in 1924.
There are still no definite dates for these visits and, for the moment, TMB has only confirmed that they will be distributed throughout 2024 and 2025.
Visit to the oldest metro trains
In addition to these visits, the celebration will also open a unique exhibition with restored trains from the 100, 300, 400, 1100 and 3000 series, the first to run in the city. However, the trains will be stopped and will not be able to run due to safety issues. The exhibition, which will take place during the last quarter of 2025, will allow access to the interior of the carriages and cabins to relive what travel was like in the early days of the metro.
The exhibition venue is yet to be defined, but TMB is considering options such as the pavilions of the Fira de Barcelona. In addition, this event could be a first step towards the creation of a museum of Catalan public transport, an idea that, according to the president of TMB, Laia Bonet, is still “very much alive”.
Night race through the subway tunnels and station climbing
Another of the most outstanding activities will be the night race of 5 kilometers through the subway tunnels. There are no dates yet, but it is known that, to ensure safety, a section without ballast (the gravel of the track beaches) and with optimal conditions for running will be chosen.
On the other hand, a time climb will also be organized in the deepest station of the network, El Coll / La Teixonera, which has 74 meters of vertical drop.
The metro quiz: all you can read to get to know it better
The Barcelona metro generates fascination, and it is not for nothing that one of the most read news of the year in Barcelona Secreta has been the longest line of the Barcelona metro, which will reach 50 kilometers long.
The activities of the centenary of the metro are a perfect occasion to remember or review some curiosities of the history of the metro: from the history of the Metropolitano, the circular metro that never came into existence, to the most used metro line or, directly, review the 10 most unknown curiosities of the city’ s metro.
The other option to prepare yourself is to do a marathon of movies recorded or set in the city’s subway, such as the recent Rocafort Station, the horror movie that will make you look at the subway with different eyes.
Celebrations for all: workers and mass events
In addition to activities open to the public, TMB will organize special events for its 4,000 workers, including a concert at the Auditori and the presentation of new uniforms. On the other hand, the centenary will also be present in emblematic events of the city such as the Cavalcada de Reis or the drone show of La Mercè.
The celebration will culminate with a large institutional event at the Paranimf of the Escola Industrial, where the documentary “One hundred years of Metro (1924-2024)” will be premiered. As a culmination, ONCE will issue a commemorative coupon to mark this milestone in the history of Barcelona.