Barcelona is set to expand its express bus network from September, with the X1 line extending to Zona Universitària and three new express routes launching this year. The move is aimed at improving links into the city centre and easing pressure on busy roads.
Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, or TMB, will extend the X1 from Francesc Macià to Zona Universitària. The route will add two buses from TMB’s reserve fleet and will reach Diagonal near Torre Melina, improving access to the university campus, nearby business areas and health facilities.
Laia Bonet, First Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning and Mobility and TMB president, said Zona Universitària is “a clearly developing area for the future”. The extension follows a request from the Promoció del Transport Públic association, which TMB worked with on the proposal.
Three new express bus lines will also begin operating this year, linking Barcelona’s outskirts with the centre. One will connect Marina del Prat Vermell to the city centre via Morrot, while the other two will serve the Meridiana corridor.
The city says the aim is to give commuters from the wider metropolitan area a faster option, while reducing the number of interurban buses entering the centre. That should help cut congestion and ease pressure at transfer points such as Fabra i Puig metro station, which has seen higher demand since the start of the year. For more on local mobility coverage, see our Community and Sport pages.
The express bus model has already shown strong use. TMB says the X1 has recorded 4.5 million validations since launch, the X3 has doubled the passenger numbers of the former Line 79, and the X2 has reached 1.6 million validations since October 2024. Together, the three existing express lines have totalled 6.8 million validations.
Bonet said the service is intended to encourage people to leave the car at home and use public transport. The original report was published by El Periódico.
