Plaça d'Espanya station

Espanya
One of the station entrances on the Plaça Espanya
General information
Location	Plaça Espanya, Barcelona Spain
Coordinates	41°22′29″N 2°8′57″E
Operated by	Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya and Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Other information
Fare zone	1 (ATM)
History
Opened	1926
Services
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Espanya, or Barcelona - Plaça Espanya, is a railway and metro station in the Spanish city of Barcelona. It is both the terminus of the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) operated Línia Llobregat-Anoia suburban railway, and one of the most important stations of the Barcelona Metro network, served by FGC operated line L8 and lines L1 and L3 operated by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB).

The station complex is located under one of the city's largest squares, Plaça Espanya, in the Sants-Montjuïc district. Not far from satellite cities south of the municipality of Barcelona proper, such as L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Plaça Espanya is one of the metropolitan area's busiest transport hubs, and is linked with a number of day and night bus services in addition to the underground metro and train lines.

History

The station opened in 1926, when both the metro line L1 platforms, on the initial section of L1 between Bordeta and Catalunya stations, and the upper level FGC platforms opened. In 1929 the station served the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition held nearby.

The metro line L3 platforms were added in 1975, on the then separate line L3b between Paral·lel and Sants stations. The platforms became served by the the L3 proper in 1982, when the L3 and L3b were merged into a single through service.

In 1997, two lower level platforms were added to the FGC part of the station, aligned in anticipation of future eastern extension of the FGC lines.

Layout

The station complex comprises three sets of platforms, serving three different sets of lines on three different track gauges. All three sets of platforms are connected by pedestrian subways to each other, and to various street entrances in the square and its surrounding streets.

The sets of platforms are:

• Metro line L1 uses a pair of through Iberian gauge tracks located directly below Plaça Espanya. These tracks are served by a pair of 92-metre (302 ft) long side platforms. Previously a third terminal track and platform existed, allowing trains from the city to terminate.

• Metro line L3 uses a pair of through standard gauge tracks located beneath Paral·lel Avenue , between Plaça Espanya and Carrer Llançà. These tracks are served by a pair of 94-metre (308 ft) long side platforms.

• The FGC lines, both surburban and metro line L8, use four metre gauge terminal tracks located under the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes at its intersection with Plaça Espanya. The four tracks are at two different levels. The tracks on the upper level are served by a pair of 159-metre (522 ft) long side platforms, whilst the tracks on the lower level are served by a centre island platform. The four terminal tracks converge, west of the station, into a single pair of tracks carrying all the FGC services.

Gallery

• 
  The metro line 1 platforms
• 
  One of the metro line 3 platforms
• 
  The lower level FGC platforms

See also

• List of Barcelona metro stations
• Plaça Espanya
• 1929 World Fair

External links

• Media related to Espanya station at Wikimedia Commons
• Plaça Espanya at the TMB website
• Plaça Espanya at Trenscat.com