High-speed trains to pass through Barcelona's future La Sagrera station by end of 2024

High-speed trains will pass through Barcelona's new La Sagrera station towards the end of 2024, according to the head of the works, Alberto Alcañiz, on Thursday. 

This will, however, be done in phases, meaning not mean not all the tracks will be in operation and the trains will not stop there by that point. It's scheduled that all high-speed trains will pass through the station by early 2026.

Construction of the eight high-speed tracks is one of the "most significant" stages of the works and is being carried out in phases with the aim of "making it compatible" with the passage of trains. 

The works on the new infrastructure are progressing according to plan and are around 70% complete. 

Last year, €136 million was invested in infrastructure works at La Sagrera, and this year the figure is expected to drop to €120 million. However, it is still unknown when everything will be operational for passengers.

Spain's transport ministry expects around 50 million passengers per year, as it is a "large scale" operation that will "bring people and neighborhoods closer," transport minister Raquel Sánchez said at a visit to the site in May 2022. 

Currently, the roof of the station is being constructed, which is one of the "most complex" phases of the works as Barcelona's largest urban park will be built on top of the station.

Alcañiz said the complication of these works comes from the dimensions involved, with modules up to 16 meters, and the weight of the machines. The park will stretch over 50,400m2 above the train station, a space equivalent to five blocks in the Eixample district of the city.

The structure of the roof will be designed in such a way that at some points natural light will pass through to illuminate tracks and platforms. 

The "big goal" of the La Sagrera station is ultimately to reduce traffic flow in the Sants station, according to Alcañiz. He explained that with the liberalization of the railway sector and the entry of new operators in the high-speed market, the capacity of Sants is at its limit. 

With the launch of La Sagrera, which will also feature a logistics center and train maintenance area, these problems will "disappear." 

It's predicted that the two stations will be connected in a 7-minute journey by train.

30% completed since July 2019

La Sagrera train station has been one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in the Catalan capital. Works had been stopped for several years, resulting in several complaints from locals. 

One major sticking point is the project's cost, which has overrun the original estimate by six times, but which the courts dismissed as being due to unforeseen events and emergencies.

However, since July 2019, construction has sped up and has now reached 70% completion.