Gaudí metro station has opened its sealed entrances for the first time in its century-long history.
This remarkable event allows visitors to step onto a fully constructed platform that trains have passed through for decades but never actually served.
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The station, located between Sagrada Família and Sant Pau/Dos de Maig on Line 5, is one of Barcelona’s infamous ‘ghost stations’.
For weeks now, one of the two permanently closed street-level entrances at the confluence of Avinguda Gaudí, Carrer Rosselló, and Carrer Lepant has been opening periodically. Consequently, registered visitors can finally explore the abandoned platform. This unique access is part of the commemorative events for the Barcelona metro’s 100th anniversary.
Gaudí Metro Station’s Century-Long Secret
The platform itself now hosts a special historical exhibition. Visitors can travel back in time to see original ticket vending machines from the 1920s and 1970s, which still operated using pesetas. Furthermore, display cases chart the fascinating evolution of metro tickets throughout the system’s history.
To understand why the Gaudí metro station was never operational, one must look back to the 1960s. Originally planned for Line 2 (lilac), construction faced significant geological challenges in the section between Sagrada Família and Paral·lel. Therefore, authorities made a pivotal decision to connect the already-built segment from Horta to Sagrada Família to Line 5 (blue) instead.
This administrative shift created an operational redundancy. The new Sagrada Família station on Line 5 was positioned extremely close to the nearly completed Gaudí station. Accordingly, the latter lost its purpose and was sealed shut, its platforms destined to be bypassed by every passing train. The station’s story is a fascinating piece of Barcelona’s complex transport history.
The two street entrances, however, were maintained in their closed state, standing as cryptic urban artefacts for decades. Gaudí station thus joined the ranks of other ghost stations like Correus, Banc, and Fernando. This recent opening, reported by La Vanguardia, offers a rare glimpse into the city’s subterranean architectural heritage. It highlights how urban planning decisions can leave tangible, if hidden, marks on the city’s infrastructure.
The visitor initiative has proven incredibly popular, with places allocated via a dedicated registration system. It successfully turns a forgotten infrastructure quirk into a living museum. Ultimately, the Gaudí metro station’s brief awakening provides a unique lens through which to view a century of Barcelona’s growth and the evolving challenges of its public transport network.
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