Barcelona to build tram along Diagonal avenue

Barcelona will have a tram line running along the length of one of its main roads, the Diagonal avenue.

The local council is expected to pass the project on Friday, after some left-wing opposition parties accepted the proposal led by the city's mayor, Ada Colau, and her also left-wing Barcelona en Comú party.

The project was first presented a decade ago under a Socialist mayor, but was rejected in a public vote with a low turnout, going on to also be rejected for years under the current local government.

However, with the local election looming, the Socialists and Esquerra have joined forces with Colau to pass the plan.

Work on the tramline is expected to start during the next quarter.

Barcelona's tram network

Barcelona's tram network as it stands is divided into two unconnected parts: Trambaix, covering the southern part of the city and connecting with some towns in the Baix Llobregat county; and the Trambesòs, in the northern part and linking with towns in the Besòs river area.

The proposed project would link the Trambaix and Trambesòs stretches along the Diagonial avenue, which bisects the Catalan capital, passing through the city center and the business areas.

At the moment, only the two ends of Diagonal have a tram service, and the work is expected to start at the northern end, covering a stretch from Glòries square to Verdaguer metro station.