A century ago, on June 10, 1926, two significant events occurred in Barcelona that have shaped the city's history. At 11 AM, authorities inaugurated the Metro Transversal, the line we now know as L1, at the Plaça de Catalunya station. A few hours later, between five and six in the afternoon, Antoni Gaudí died at the Hospital de la Santa Creu, three days after being hit by a tram on Gran Via.
The commemoration of Antoni Gaudí's death centenary, with extensive media coverage, drone recreations of his image, and the presence of the Pope at the Sagrada Família, has led to the Metro Transversal's anniversary passing almost unnoticed. This contrasts with the celebration of the Gran Metro (current L3) centenary in 2024, which was the city's first subway, inaugurated on December 31, 1924.
According to Ferran Armengol, Professor of International Law and president of the Coordinadora pro Museu del Transport de Barcelona, the Metro Transversal was considered 'favored' by the Administration. The Barcelona City Council acquired shares in the promoting company, Ferrocarril Metropolitano de Barcelona SA, and subsidized ticket prices to make it more attractive than the Gran Metro, which was initially more expensive and had fewer stops. This situation culminated in 1961 when the Gran Metro was absorbed by the Transversal, with the latter becoming Line 1.
The history of the Transversal also includes a tragic episode: on March 11, 1924, eleven workers died in a collapse during the line's construction on Gran Via, near Villarroel street. This tragedy, the worst accident in Barcelona's metro history, has no commemorative plaque.
The name 'Transversal' originates from Léon Jaussely's urban plan, which envisioned a similar line. Although Jaussely wanted it closer to the Sagrada Família, the plan by engineer Fernando Reyes Garrido, which favored Plaça de Catalunya and Gran Via, prevailed. Engineer Esteve Terradas was responsible for the construction, notably the bridge at Plaça de Catalunya. The project was partly financed by businessman Horacio Echevarrieta, with mediation from Francesc Cambó.
A unique feature of the Transversal is its track gauge of 1,674 millimeters, the original Spanish standard defined in 1844 and known as 'six Castilian feet' or 'six Burgos feet'. This distance, different from the international standard gauge, is still maintained today on L1, unlike other Barcelona metro lines.
