Barcelona metro will be 100% accessible by 2024
At the beginning of August, the work in the Jaume I station in Barcelona has been finished, which means that the metro network of the capital of Catalonia is 92% accessible for passengers with access needs.
The works, which have involved an investment of 4 million euros, have included the installation of two elevators and the remodeling of the two hallways of the station. With that of Jaume I, 144 stations are adapted from the 157 existing in the network.
This fall will begin the work of adaptation to two exchangers: Maragall and Plaça d'Espanya. Maragall's works (L4 - L5) will involve an investment of 12 million euros, and those of Plaça d'Espanya (L1 - L3) will be tendered, with an estimated budget of 10 million euros.
The Minister for Territory and Sustainability Damià Calvet noticed: "We have 92% of the subway network adapted to people with reduced mobility, one of the highest percentages among similar metropolitan transport networks at European level."
is one of the best in European cities
The forecast is to have a 100% metro network in Barcelona accessible between 2023 and 2024.
What about other major cities in the world? The Paris metro is adapted for passengers with wheelchairs only by 3% - according to media reports, 9 out of 303 metro stations can be considered fully accessible for citizens and guests of the French capital. In New York, 118 out of 47 metro stations are recognized as accessible. In London, only 29% of stations offer step-free access to passengers. Among European cities, according to the British tourist portal Alpharooms, the most adapted can be considered the metro of Barcelona and Vienna.