Tag Archives: TMB

Rail Photo of the Month: June 2025

Posted on by

Alstom 9000 Series

Location: Sagrada Familia Station, Barcelona, Spain
Operator of Vehicle: Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB)
Date of Photo: June 6, 2028

I thought I might have had an opportunity to visit Barcelona for a second time earlier this year, my first time having been back in June of 2008.  Things didn’t work out that way, which is OK, but I figured since it has now been 17 years since that trip, I might as well share a photo from it.  These 9000 Series trains were brand new when I rode them on Line 2 back in 2008.  They now operate on Line 4, Line 9, and Line 10 as well.  The trains on Line 2 and Line 4 are “semiautomatic” and have a staffed driver’s cab, while the trains on Line 9 and Line 10 are fully automatic with no on board driver.  TMB plans to gradually convert existing lines to full automation in the coming years.  So far only Line 11 has been converted, but preparation for converting Line 4 was started in 2023 and expected to take about 5 years.

For more photos of the Barcelona Metro 9000 Series Rolling Stock, please click here.  

Rail Photo of the Month: March 2017

Posted on by

CAF 5000 Series 5037

CAF 5000 Series 5037

Location: Diagonal, Barcelona, Spain
Operator of Vehicle: Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB)
Date of Photo: June 6, 2008

 

Based on the fact that this website’s Washington, DC section is one of the largest that I have, my guess is most people expect to see photos of WMATA rolling stock when they hear about a CAF 5000 Series.  Well if that is what you were expecting to see here, surprise!  WMATA doesn’t have the world’s only CAF 5000 Series cars, and the March Rail Photo of the Month features one of the other ones.  Specifically, this CAF built 5000 Series train operates in Barcelona.  Thirty-nine of these trains were delivered starting in 2005 and currently operate on lines 3 and 5.  

While these trains operate a world away from their Washington cousins, they do have some similarities.  Both the Barcelona and DC systems have automatic train operation and their 5000 series trains both have on board diagnostics systems.  However, there are also some notable differences.  Barcelona’s Metro uses overhead catenary lines to power its trains whereas Washington has an electrified third rail.  The Barcelona 5000 Series also has open gangways between each car, while the DC 5000 Series cars are in married pairs with no internal passage between the cars (except in emergencies).  Finally, to my knowledge, there are no plans to replace the Barcelona 5000 Series any time soon, while the incoming Kawasaki 7000 Series cars will ultimately force the retirement of the CAF 5000 Series in DC.  

For more photos of Barcelona’s CAF 5000 Series railcars, please click here.