Barcelona Metro line 1

— Line 1, shortened to L1 and currently known as "Hospital de Bellvitge - Fondo", coloured red and often simply called Línia vermella ("Red Line"), is the second oldest metro line in Barcelona, after L3. It's operated by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB). It appeared as a means to join the rail stations the city had in the 1920s. It's been growing since then to become, as of 2007, a large line made up of 30 stations, the network's busiest. These stations are pretty much homogeneous architecturally wise, and as it's the case of most metro lines in Barcelona, ornamentation is virtually absent from them. Some of them are currently improving their artificial lighting.

Its termini are currently Hospital de Bellvitge, in the municipality of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, and Fondo, in Santa Coloma de Gramenet. It's going to be extended southbound into El Prat de Llobregat and from its north terminus into Badalona, where it will join L2 in Badalona Centre.

Overview

It was first open in 1926 under the official name Ferrocarril Metropolitano Transversal de Barcelona for the 1929 Universal Exposition. It's operated by TMB, which makes it part of the ATM fare-integrated main transport system.

The longest line so far and the only to have broad gauge railtracks, it links L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Santa Coloma de Gramenet and it's soon to be extended northbound towards Badalona Centre and southbound into El Prat de Llobregat. Most of the line is underground, except for a short part going from Plaça de Sants and Santa Eulàlia.

Chronology

• 1926 - Bordeta-Catalunya section opened.
• 1932 - Bordeta-Santa Eulàlia and Catalunya-Arc de Triomf sections opened.
• 1933 - Arc de Triomf-Marina section opened.
• 1951 - Marina-Clot section opened.
• 1952 - Clot-Navas section opened.
• 1954 - Navas-Fabra i Puig section opened.
• 1968 - Fabra i Puig-Torras i Bages section opened.
• 1983 - Torras i Bages-Santa Coloma and Santa Eulàlia-Torrassa sections opened. Bordeta station closed.
• 1987 - Torrassa-Avinguda Carrilet section opened.
• 1992 - Santa Coloma-Fondo section opened.

Technical details

Colour on map	Red
Number of stations	30
Type	Conventional metro
Length	20,7 km.
Rolling stock	4000 series
Areas covered	L'Hospitalet, Barcelona (Sants-Montjuïc, Eixample, Sant Martí, Sant Andreu), Santa Coloma
Journey time	35 minutes
Track gauge	1.668 metre
Traction	Electricity
Power supply	Rigid overhead wire
Open-air sections	Yes (between Santa Eulàlia and Mercat Nou)
Mobile phone coverage	Partial
Depots	Santa Eulàlia, Sagrera.
Operator	TMB

Current stations

Stations or lines shown in italics are under construction.

• Hospital de Bellvitge
• Bellvitge
• Av. Carrilet (L8)
• Rambla Just Oliveras (RENFE)
• Can Serra
• Florida
• Torrassa (L9, L10)
• Santa Eulàlia
• Mercat Nou
• Plaça de Sants (L5)
• Hostafrancs
• Espanya (L3, L8)
• Rocafort
• Urgell
• Universitat (L2)
• Catalunya (L3, L6, L7, RENFE)
• Urquinaona (L4)
• Arc de Triomf (RENFE)
• Marina (T4)
• Glòries (T4)
• Clot (L2, RENFE)
• Navas
• Sagrera (L5, L9, L10)
• Fabra i Puig (RENFE)
• Sant Andreu (RENFE)
• Torras i Bages
• Trinitat Vella
• Baró de Viver
• Santa Coloma
• Fondo (L9)

External links

• Trenscat.com