Protest Action Ahead of 11-N Strike

Activists from L’Analògica, a community coordination group based in Guinardó, opened metro access gates at Maragall and Horta stations on Thursday 5th November 2026 as part of ongoing mobilisation against rising public transport costs. The action involved using insulating tape to bypass access controls, allowing free entry, and displaying posters promoting the 11 November general strike. The group stated on social media that the protest was a response to the slogan "living in Barcelona costs us our lives," highlighting that public transport fares have increased by 15% over the past three years. They also pointed to stagnant wages, rising rents, and record profits among banks and multinational corporations as key drivers of economic pressure on residents.

"While multinationals and banks make record profits, our salaries do not increase,"

L’Analògica called on the public to join the 11-N strike, a broader day of action against cost-of-living and housing policies.

TMB Responds to Disruption

Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) confirmed that station agents acted quickly to remove the taped validators. According to TMB sources cited by betevé, "some users sealed the validators so they could not close," but staff intervened immediately to restore normal operations. No major service disruptions were reported as a result of the protest.

2026 Fares and Discounts Confirmed

Despite the protest, the Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM) has confirmed that key fare discounts will continue in 2026. The T-usual and T-jove travel cards, along with social fare categories for large families, single-parent households, and the unemployed, will retain a 50% discount on their nominal cost, as decided by the ATM governing board. An average fare increase of 3.5% was implemented from 15th January 2026 across all ticket types and zones, in line with inflation and operational costs. This adjustment aims to maintain service quality and coverage while minimising impact on longer journeys. The continued discounts represent a joint financial commitment of over €110 million by the Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council, and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. More information on 2026 fares is available on the TMB official website and the TMB Notícias announcement.

Primary sources: tmb.cat, Barcelona City Council, noticies.tmb.cat. Reported by beteve.cat, betevé.