Barcelona Airport Express: Alstom, FGC, Adif Rail Upgrade

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Introduction

Alstom and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) have unveiled the first of ten electric trains destined for an express service connecting Barcelona city center and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, with service entry slated for late 2026 to early 2027. The trains, operated by FGC Mobilitat, will run at 15-minute intervals, completing the journey in just over 20 minutes.

Route and Stations

The 22.7km route will serve nine stations, including Sant Andreu, Sagrera, El Clot, Passeig de Gràcia, Sants, Bellvitge, El Prat, Airport T-2, and Airport T-1, linking the city center with both airport terminals.

Testing and Depot Construction

Alstom is conducting static and dynamic tests at its Santa Perpètua de Mogoda site. Construction of a 3,500m² maintenance depot adjacent to the Santa Perpètua de Mogoda factory began in April, designed to service the fleet for 15 years. The wider depot project spans 12ha and will include two maintenance tracks, auxiliary workshops, a warehouse, workers’ quarters, project offices, an auxiliary services workshop, and a rail connection to the Adif network. The depot is scheduled for completion by spring 2026. Certification validation tests on the General Interest Railway Network will cover traction, braking, dynamic behaviour, signalling and telecommunications, among other systems required for approval.

Train Specifications

The trains are five-car Coradia Stream units built at Alstom’s Santa Perpètua de Mogoda facility. Each unit will have 10 doors per side and 202 seats: 197 fixed, seven folding, and two for persons with reduced mobility (PMR). The maximum capacity is 656 passengers per train. The interior layout includes luggage storage areas and wider corridors. On-board systems will include 20 internal panoramic screens (four per car) for service information and nine screens for airport departures and arrivals. External passenger information will be provided by 12 LED screens on each train. Door operation will be indicated by audible signals and a lighting system using green for opening and red for closing.

Accessibility and Additional Features

Accessibility features will include step-free access from platforms, an automatic ramp at doors adjacent to the reduced mobility area, and two reserved spaces for PRM. The trains will also include adapted toilets and two multifunctional areas for bicycles and trolleys, among other features. In June this year, Adif reported that phase two of the rail link to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport’s Terminal 1 was 80% complete. The work, part of the Transformem Rodalies plan, involves more than €400m ($465m) in investment.

Conclusion

The express train service between Barcelona city center and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, operated by FGC Mobilitat, is set to begin service between late 2026 and early 2027. The 22.7km route will serve nine stations and the trains are five-car Coradia Stream units built at Alstom’s Santa Perpètua de Mogoda facility. The wider depot project spans 12ha. The work, part of the Transformem Rodalies plan, involves more than €400m ($465m) in investment.

Company Summary

Alstom: Alstom is carrying out static and dynamic tests at its Santa Perpètua de Mogoda site. The trains are five-car Coradia Stream units built at Alstom’s Santa Perpètua de Mogoda facility.

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC): Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) have presented the first of ten electric trains that will operate an express service between Barcelona city centre and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport.

FGC Mobilitat: FGC Mobilitat will run the trains.

Adif: In June this year, Adif reported that phase two of the rail link to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport’s Terminal 1 was 80% complete.

Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport: The express service connecting Barcelona city center and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, with service entry slated for late 2026 to early 2027.

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