Barcelona metro to add 39 new trains by 2029 in €331m investment

The Barcelona metro network will receive 39 new trains aimed at increasing capacity and improving service frequency.

The initiative, which involves an investment of €331 million, was announced on Monday by Catalan president Salvador Illa during the event celebrating the metro's centenary.

"This is a giant step to improving the metro," said Illa, adding that the measure will "enhance service quality" and "increase capacity by 20,000 passengers during rush hour."

The Barcelona metro currently operates with 185 trains. The addition of 39 new units will raise the total fleet to 224, a 21% increase.

Of the new trains, 22 will be assigned to Line 9, which runs from Barcelona Airport to Santa Coloma de Gramenet, passing through Sarrià.

The remaining trains will be distributed among other conventional lines, with priority given to Lines 1 and 5, the busiest in the network.

The goal is to improve the frequency of rush hour service, with the aim of achieving intervals of less than three minutes on the busiest lines.

Once the upgrade is complete, Line 5 will become the line with the most trains (45), followed by Line 1 (44), Line 3 (30), Line 4 (27), and Line 2 (25).

"We made a commitment to get Catalonia moving, and that means getting more metro trains in motion," Illa said during the presentation.

The €331 million cost will be shared among the Catalan government (51%), the Barcelona city council (25%), and the Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMB) (24%).

The public tender process is expected to be finalized by spring 2026, with the first new trains scheduled to arrive in 2029.