Transport enthusiasts will have the rare opportunity to explore Barcelona's 'ghost stations' this autumn, as Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) opens the unused Correos and Gaudí metro stations to the public for the first time in history.
As part of its centenary celebrations, TMB has made eight usually closed spaces accessible for free in September, October, and November. The first ghost station to open is Gaudí, built in 1968 but never put into service. Guided tours will allow visitors to learn about 100 years of the transport network's history.
The second ghost station, Correos, operated from 1934 to 1972. It lacks a street-level access point, so visitors must walk along the tracks when the metro is not running to reach the site.
Other heritage sites open to the public include the old Urquinaona spiral staircase, the Santa Eulàlia workshop (the oldest on the metro, opened in 1922), the ZAL workshop, and the Mercat Nou electrical substation, a Renaissance-inspired building featuring traditional and modern Catalan art. Visitors can also experience a metro train driver's perspective at the control centre's driving simulator room.
Xavier Flores, CEO of TMB, said: 'We are celebrating 100 years of the metro with its protagonists: the metro professionals, who make the service possible every day, and the citizens of Barcelona. For this reason, we want to open the most emblematic spaces of the metro network both for those who work there and for users.'
TMB is offering 5,033 free tickets to these heritage sites, with registration available on its website. The first visits began on 13 September, with ghost station tours available on several days in October and November.
