The Barcelona Transport Museum location remains a subject of heated debate. The City Council plans to establish the facility in Vall d’Hebron. However, heritage groups strongly oppose this and demand a central Montjuïc site instead.
Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB) recently presented its vision to local activists. The proposal places the museum above the L3 Metro depot in Vall d’Hebron. Meanwhile, the Coordinadora Pro Museu del Transport has rejected this plan. They describe the council’s project as “smoke” and argue the site cannot accommodate the city’s vast transport heritage.
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The Council’s Proposal: Vall d’Hebron
The plan led by Laia Bonet, President of TMB, and Xavier Flores, the company’s CEO, involves integrating the museum into the Vall d’Hebron Hospital expansion. The facility would occupy space at the Sant Genís depots. This location is currently slated for significant redevelopment, including a new ten-storey building.
TMB’s design suggests a dual-site model. The Vall d’Hebron location would serve as the primary exhibition hall. It would utilise existing track infrastructure and add two new floors for displays. In addition, a second, larger facility would store vehicles not currently on show.
According to reports regarding the proposal, the exhibition space at Vall d’Hebron would cover approximately 3,000 square metres. The collection would be restricted exclusively to TMB vehicles. Therefore, it excludes other historical assets such as fire engines.
Campaigners Demand Return to Montjuïc
Heritage campaigners insist the Barcelona Transport Museum location should be the Palau de Transports i Comunicacions at Fira de Montjuïc. This building historically housed vehicle exhibitions during the 1929 International Exposition. Consequently, the Coordinadora Pro Museu del Transport argues this location is superior due to its central position.
The group highlights the London Transport Museum’s successful central hub in Covent Garden. This attracts high footfall from tourists and locals. They argue that placing Barcelona’s equivalent in a peripheral hospital zone would limit its appeal. Furthermore, they note the TMB collection alone requires 8,000 square metres, significantly more than Vall d’Hebron offers.
Activists also advocate for a broader collection policy. They believe a true Barcelona Transport Museum should include trams, funiculars, and public service vehicles. Therefore, it should not be limited to TMB rolling stock. Local private collections, including historical fire service vehicles, could potentially be integrated if space allowed.
Next Steps in the Debate
The dispute will move to the municipal plenary on 30 January. Ferran Armengol, president of the Coordinadora, is scheduled to present the case for Montjuïc directly to city officials.
The platform has already circulated its arguments to political groups. They emphasise that the Montjuïc site is a protected space not scheduled for demolition. This makes it a viable candidate for the city’s 2029 centenary reorganisation plans. This discussion is one of several concerning major urban transformation projects in Barcelona currently underway.
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