Barcelona metro travelers experience complications on first day of L4 line disruptions

Barcelona L4 metro line travelers experienced some complications on the first day of disruptions for work on the line, which will last all summer and will see stations near the city's beaches closed during the period.

Carlos, a resident in the Sant Martí neighborhood, said that "because of the construction work, I had to take four different metro lines," something that will affect him until August 25.

"There are a lot of people, and because of the metro closures, there are even more [than usual]," he added.

L4 metro will be partly closed between June 26 and July 31, from Verdaguer to Bogatell stations. That will be followed by another closure on the same line from Verdaguer to Barceloneta between August 1 and 25.

Metro trains will not run between these stops because 6 km of tracks will be renovated to reduce incidents and vibrations on the line. 

As an alternative, the frequency of other lines close to this area, such as L1, L2, and L3 will be increased, as well as regular buses such as 6, V19, and V21. A shuttle bus will be introduced with a frequency of 3 or 4 minutes.

Beach stations

Many residents and visitors use Barcelona's yellow L4 metro line to go to the beach, because of its proximity to the shore.

While some stations will be open between La Pau and Bogatell, the ones closest to the beaches will be closed, meaning people wanting to sunbathe and go for a swim will have to find alternative routes.

Barceloneta, Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica, and Bogatell are some of the stations most often used to travel to the beach, all of which will experience some kind of disruption until late August.

T4 tram

All of the T4 tram line will be closed from June 26 to August 31 while the new tramline is being constructed between Glòries and Diagonal. This line covers the route between Estació de Sant Adrià and Ciutadella | Vila Olímpica stops.

A shuttle bus will also be provided for the tram route.

"Totally unfair"

Dora, who lives near the Parc del Fòrum, said she was "outraged," but did acknowledge that there had been a lot of information about the improvement works. 

"It seems terrible to me. The city has more and more work going on. This is not good for tourists or for the image of Barcelona," she said as she waited for her train. 

"I stay here over the summer and it's totally unfair," she said, suggesting that work should place when it's "colder and we don't go to the beach as much." 

Jonathan, another L4 user, had to take the metro to work, and hadn't remembered about the closures. "I will take the bus over the summer. I don't think it will be a problem," he said.  

Maintenance issues

As officials explained at the beginning of June, the L4 line is reaching the end of its service life. In particular, the section affected by the work that started in Monday accounts for 67% of incidents on the line. 

Part of the issue is that this section of the metro lies below sea level. When the line is in use, maintenance tasks often have to be carried out overnight due to corrosion caused by water leaks.