Espanya metro station
Line 1, Line 3 and Line 8 · Zone 1 · Sants-Montjuïc
Espanya station
Espanya is the terminus of Line 8 and a through station on Line 1 and Line 3.
This interchange beneath Plaça d’Espanya grew out of two stations dating from 1926. The L1 station opened on 9 June that year, with the line’s first section, and the railway station of the Llobregat-Anoia line has also existed since 1926, when the line was extended here from the old Magòria station. Today it is the terminus of that FGC line and of L8. In 1997 a new hall was added alongside the original one, on a lower level, with two tracks and an island platform, making use of the new double-track tunnel from Gornal.
L3 came later: its station opened on 14 July 1975, when the line was extended towards Zona Universitària via Sants as part of Line IIIB, which was later joined to Line III to form today’s L3. The complex has a shopping area and six TMB entrances: four for L1, including Creu Coberta and Tarragona, and two for L3, Exposició and Avinguda Paral·lel. In 2024 the FGC station recorded 5,994,682 entry validations.
First and last train at Espanya
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Fri & eve of holidays first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 towards Fondo | 05:05 – 00:17 | 05:05 – 02:17 | 05:05 – all night | all night – 00:16 |
| L1 towards Hospital de Bellvitge | 05:00 – 00:28 | 05:00 – 02:28 | 05:00 – all night | all night – 00:29 |
| L3 towards Trinitat Nova | 05:00 – 00:10 | 05:00 – 02:10 | 05:00 – all night | all night – 00:10 |
| L3 towards Zona Universitària | 05:00 – 00:30 | 05:00 – 02:30 | 05:00 – all night | all night – 00:30 |
| L8 towards Molí Nou - Ciutat Cooperativa | 05:00 – 00:00 L8 only: 05:41 – 20:51 | 05:00 – 02:00 L8 only: 05:41 – 20:51 | 05:36 – 02:00 L8 only: 07:18 – 21:42 | 05:36 – 00:00 L8 only: 07:18 – 21:42 |
Scheduled departure times at this station, from the TMB and FGC GTFS timetables for a week without public holidays (TMB runs its Monday-to-Thursday timetable on weekday public holidays). “All night” means there is no night-time break: L1 and L3 run without interruption from Saturday night to Sunday morning. FGC lines do not run all night. On the FGC lines the large time counts every FGC train that stops here (S and R trains too); the small time below it is for the metro line’s own trains.
How often the trains run
Average interval between trains on the line, worked out from the trains per hour and direction that the operator schedules at the station shown; towards the ends of the line it can be longer.
Stations next to Espanya
Scheduled travel time between Espanya and the stations on either side.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| L1 | HostafrancsES | 0.9 min |
| L1 | RocafortES | 1.1 min |
| L3 | Poble SecES | 1.3 min |
| L3 | TarragonaES | 1.2 min |
| L8 | Magòria La CampanaES | 2 min |
Interchanges and connections
- Metro: change here between Line 1, Line 3 and Line 8 (TMB and FGC share the station name, but each operator has its own platforms, up to about 190 m apart). Minimum change time that TMB allows in its timetable (not counting the wait for the train): L1–L3, 3 min.
- FGC trains: lines R5, R6, S3, S4, S8, S9.
- Bus: lines 13, 23, 46, 52, 55, 65, 91, 109, 150, 974, D20, D40, H12, H16, V7, X2, X3.
Accessibility
- L1: not accessible according to TMB.
- L3: accessible according to TMB.
- L8: accessible according to FGC (open data, step-free routes).
- TMB lists 6 entrances to the station, 2 with a lift.
- Note: the operator rates entrances and platforms separately. This station has an entrance marked as accessible on Line 1, but the line is listed as not accessible: an entrance with a lift does not guarantee step-free access to the platform. Check the operator's information before you travel.
What is near Espanya
It serves Plaça d’Espanya and the surrounding area: one entrance is on Avinguda del Paral·lel, next to the entrance to the Fira, and another at the entrance to the Las Arenas shopping centre. Arenas de Barcelona is about 100 m away as the crow flies, the Biblioteca Artur Martorell and the Institut de l’Esport de Barcelona about 120 m, and the Casa Fajol about 160 m. The Parc de Joan Miró is about 290 m away and its library about 370 m.
| Place | Straight-line distance | On foot (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Font de la Plaça d'Espanya | 50 m | 1 min |
| Arenas de Barcelona | 100 m | 2 min |
| Biblioteca Joan Miró | 370 m | 6 min |
| Biblioteca Artur Martorell | 120 m | 2 min |
| Institut de l'Esport de Barcelona | 120 m | 2 min |
| Casa Fajol | 160 m | 3 min |
| Jardins de Ramon Aramon i Serra | 240 m | 4 min |
| Alalimón | 290 m | 5 min |
Places from OpenStreetMap within 400 m, under their local (Catalan) names. The walking time is an estimate (straight-line distance × 1.3 at 80 m a minute).
Frequently asked questions
The L1 and FGC stations tie: both have existed since 1926, with the metro station opening on 9 June that year. The L3 station opened much later, on 14 July 1975, as part of Line IIIB.
It is an extension opened in 1997 alongside the original 1926 station, on a lower level, with two tracks and an island platform. It was built to make use of the new double-track tunnel from Gornal.