Barcelona Metro

If you live in Barcelona, chances are you take the metro nearly every day. Even if you prefer other means of transport, you probably pass a handful of metro stations on your daily commute. With 180 stations and 12 transport lines, the Barcelona metro is the second largest metro system in Spain, runner up to Madrid. It is used by millions of residents and visitors each year. But even if you use the metro several times a day, you might not know some of its hidden secrets.

The beginnings of the Barcelona metro go back to the turn of the twentieth century when the city was experiencing massive population growth thanks to the industrial revolution. Metro construction began and the first piece was opened in 1924 between Lesseps and Plaça Catalunya which now forms part of Line 3. Today, the metro connects the entire city for affordable and convenient transport.

In the hundred years since construction, the metro system has seen many changes. In fact, the only original metro entrance that still exists today can be found leading into the Urquinaona station on Carrer del Bruc. But in addition to the fascinating history of its construction, there are other stories hidden under the streets of Barcelona that most people probably don’t know.

Ghost stations

Above ground, you would never even notice when you might be walking right over the top of one of the Barcelona metro’s ghost stations. In total, there are twelve abandoned stations in the city, including the Gaudí Station that was constructed beneath Avinguida Gaudí near the Sagrada Familia in the 1960s but never went into use as a metro station. Today, the station can be seen from the trains passing in both directions on line 5 to and from the Sagrada Familia. Some even say that the station is haunted, claiming to have seen ghost passengers standing on the platform, including the renowned architect himself, Antoni Gaudí.

Like every corner of the city, the Barcelona metro has its own history of the Spanish Civil War. The underground network once served as a bomb shelter for Barcelona residents during the air raid attacks on the city. One of these shelters, Refugio 307, has been excavated in the Poble Sec neighborhood and is now open to the public to visit. Forming part of the Museu d’Historia de Barcelona, Shelter 307 contains 200 meters of tunnels and offers visitors a chance to see the living conditions within its rooms and imagine what wartime in Barcelona would have been like.


Barcelona is a city full of urban legends, so it’s no surprise that the metro system has it’s very own. In the 1980’s Rocafort station became known as the cursed metro station after four suicides took place there within the space of one month there. Now, some claim to see dark figures walking along the tracks and on the station’s platforms at night. They even say that the surveillance cameras have captured the ghostly images. Some TMB workers even refuse to work in the station at night to this very day.

From the history of the Barcelona metro to the many legends and secrets hidden within its tunnels. The underground railways of Barcelona are home to several curiosities worth investigating. While you may never realize it out in the open air and Barcelona sunshine, the city has another life beneath your feet with its very own fascinating history.

On this topic, a recent study by the Statistical Institute of Catalonia reveals that coughing and sneezing were the biggest annoyances on trains and metros. A total of 5,314 train and metro passengers responded to a survey on behaviour and manners on trains and metros. "Coughing and sneezing without consideration for others" topped the list of passenger gripes. An association spokesperson attributed this to remaining effects of Covid-19. He said: "The coronavirus pandemic may have ingrained the importance of consideration for others as a norm." He added: "More people likely feel greater anxiety than before the pandemic when someone nearby coughs or sneezes without wearing a mask."


The organization has been conducting its polls since 1999 to gauge how people feel about their fellow passengers. It hopes to promote better behaviour in the future. It said 50.5 per cent of survey respondents cited coughing and sneezing as their top annoyance. Other sources of irritation on trains and metros included people stretching their legs, people not moving over to make space for others wanting to sit down, and noisy conversations. The institute added that "strong scents from perfume or fabric softeners" and "poor manners during boarding and alighting such as blocking doors" were fourth and fifth on the list.


1. Barcelona Metro Station Names: What do you know about the origin of these metro station names?

L1: Urgell
L2: Tetuan
L3: Drassanes
L9&L10: Onze de Setembre
L7: Provenca
L11: Casa de l’Aigua
L1&L4:Urquinaona
L2:Pep Ventura
L3:Lesseps
L4:Jaume I
L9: Ildefons Cerdà
L4&L5: Verdaguer


https://englishtimewithyves.blogspot.com/2025/01/barcelona-metro-names-bonus-reading.html

2. MANNERS: What manners are important in these places? How are your manners in these places? Complete this table.

 

Manners That Are Important

Your Manners in These Places

Trains/Metros

 

 

Malls

 

 

Libraries

 

 

Concerts

 

 

Beaches

 

 

Driving

 

 




3.Vocabulary

        Paragraph 1

      1.Handfula.the travel between work and home and vice versa 
      2.commuteb. a place that is visited or inhabited by ghosts 
      3.hauntedc.a small number, usually between 3 and 9 
      4.air raidd.to be in the second position, number 2 
      5.renownede.distinguished, acclaimed, celebrated
      6.runner up f. an attack in which bombs are dropped from aircraft on to a ground target.
       

       Paragraph 2

      1.affordablea.record accurately in words or pictures.
      2.convenientb.a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger.
      3.shelterc.remove earth carefully from an area in order to find buried remains.
      4.excavatedd.easy, simple, accessible, suitable 
      5.cursede.not expensive, reasonably priced
      6.capturedf.a place that is possessed by superatural powers that creates harm , punishment or bad luck, malediction
  
 

Paragraph 3

      1.reveala.To say that something is because of something else.
      2.respondedb.Thinking about other people and their feelings.
      3.considerationc.To answer or reply to something.
      4.gripesd.A usual way of doing things.
      5.attributede.To show something that was hidden or not known before.
      6.ingrainedf.Complaints or things that people are unhappy about.
      7.normg.Something that has become a strong habit or is very difficult to change.

    Paragraph 4

      8.pollh.To measure or find out something, like how people feel or think.
      9.gaugei.A smell, usually one that is nice.
      10.citedj.Getting off a bus, train, plane, or ship.
      11.irritationk.To mention or talk about something as an example.
      12.scentl.Getting on a bus, train, plane, or ship.
      13.boardingm.A feeling of being annoyed or bothered by something.
      14.alightingn.A survey or set of questions to find out what people think about something.


4. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. annoyances        
  2. responded
  3. consideration
  4. ingrained
  5. anxiety
  6. gauge
  7. cited
  8. sources
  9. alighting
  10. rise
  1. assess
  2. care
  3. getting off
  4. worry
  5. replied
  6. mentioned
  7. roots
  8. nuisances
  9. hike
  10. fixed






























5.Role play

Role  A – Coughing
You think coughing is the most annoying thing on trains. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least annoying of these (and why): 

Role  B – Late Trains
You think late trains is the most annoying things about trains. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least annoying of these (and why):

Role  C – Smells
You think smells are the most annoying things on trains. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least annoying of these (and why): 

Role  D – Overcrowding
You think overcrowding is the most annoying thing on trains. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their things aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least annoying of these (and why): 

Role  E – Loud Music

Role  F – Luggage

Role  G – Ticket Prices

Role  H – Staring People

Role I - Something not on the list


6.Biggest Impact: Choose a name from these metro stations and say why you think it had the biggest impact on Barcelona:

L1: Urgell
L2: Tetuan
L3: Drassanes
L9&L10: Onze de Setembre
L7: Provenca
L11: Casa de l’Aigua
L1&L4:Urquinaona
L2:Pep Ventura
L3:Lesseps
L4:Jaume I
L9: Ildefons Cerdà
L4&L5: Verdaguer


7.Discussion - Annoying Behaviour


  1. What did you think when you read the headline?
  2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'train'?
  3. How do you behave on trains?
  4. What do you think of people's behaviour on trains?
  5. What do you think of people who cough and sneeze on trains?
  6. What are your biggest annoyances on public transport?
  7. How much do you like train travel?
  8. How considerate are you to others?
  9. What makes you feel anxious?
  10. Do you think we should all be still wearing a mask?
  1. What do you think about the public transport system in Barcelona?
  2. Do you ever want to tell people about their bad behaviour?
  3. What do you think of noisy conversations on trains?
  4. What do you think of strong scents from perfume on trains?
  5. What annoys you about people in shopping malls?
  6. Do you think people's behaviour is getting better or worse?
  7. What questions would you like to ask the researchers?

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