Barcelona City Council has approved a significant investment of over two million euros to completely replace ageing escalators in the city’s steep, hillside neighbourhoods. The project will target essential mobility infrastructure in El Carmel and La Teixonera, two areas within the Horta-Guinardó district known for their challenging topography.
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The move, a long-standing request from local residents, was given the final green light by the city’s Government Commission (Comissió de Govern) on 12 February. For thousands of residents, these outdoor escalators are not a convenience but a vital link, providing autonomous access to homes, shops, and public transport in areas where steep inclines pose a daily challenge.
A €2 Million Mobility Boost
The municipal intervention is split into two distinct projects. The first involves a complete substitution of the escalators on Carrer d’Agudells in the heart of El Carmel, with a budget of €1,050,555, including taxes. A parallel project will see the escalators on Carrer de Sant Dalmir in La Teixonera replaced, at a cost of €1,006,165.
Technical reports from the city’s Department of Vertical Transport highlighted the obsolescence of the current equipment, prompting the comprehensive renewal. With definitive approval secured, the administrative process can now accelerate, paving the way for works that promise to significantly improve the daily lives of local residents.
Part of a City-Wide Overhaul
This investment in Horta-Guinardó is not an isolated measure. It forms part of the ‘Pla Endreça’ (Tidying-up Plan), an ambitious city-wide strategy launched by the Ajuntament de Barcelona to maintain and enhance the quality and accessibility of public spaces.
Under this plan, the city has earmarked a total of €19.3 million for the preventative renewal of its vertical transport network. The roadmap includes 44 separate actions to modernise or replace public lifts and escalators between 2025 and 2027. These efforts are primarily focused on the six districts of the Catalan capital with the most pronounced slopes.
The council has designated 2026 as the most intensive period for this initiative, scheduling 25 major structural interventions. The overarching goal is to ensure that by 2027, no municipally-owned escalator in a public space is more than 20 years old, guaranteeing reliability and safety.
An Essential Urban Network
The necessity of maintaining this network is underscored by its heavy usage. Barcelona’s system of 55 public lifts and approximately 100 outdoor escalators recorded nearly 28 million journeys last year alone, as first reported by Metrópoli Abierta.
These installations function as a lifeline, enabling agile and inclusive mobility and upholding the right to unhindered movement in the city’s highest-altitude neighbourhoods. The investment reflects a continued commitment to public infrastructure, following other recent mobility-focused projects such as the reopening of escalators at Plaça Catalunya’s transport hub and major maintenance funding for the city’s ring roads.
By tackling the obsolescence of this critical equipment, the city aims to provide a more reliable and efficient service, ensuring that Barcelona’s unique geography does not become a barrier for its citizens.
