The Autoritat del Transport Metropolità, the Barcelona metropolitan transport authority, and Barcelona City Council have approved a collaboration agreement setting out who will pay for the next section of the Diagonal tram connection between Verdaguer and Francesc Macià. The decision matters for residents, commuters and businesses along Avinguda Diagonal because it removes one of the last administrative hurdles before construction and operation of the new stretch can proceed.

According to reporting by EL PAÍS on Tuesday 7 July, the agreement divides the funding between the Generalitat, through the ATM, and the Ajuntament, Barcelona's city council. The same day, EFE, via El Periódico, reported that the deal covers both the works and the future operation of the section between Verdaguer and Francesc Macià, plus complementary actions linked to the project.

What has been approved

The agreement follows earlier planning approvals for the tram extension along the central stretch of Diagonal. Barcelona City Council said in April that it had granted final approval for the project to connect the tram systems on the avenue, a scheme that includes the section from Verdaguer to Francesc Macià and associated urban redevelopment works.

  • The route covered is the central Diagonal section between Verdaguer and Francesc Macià.
  • The agreement covers construction, operation and complementary measures tied to the extension.
  • The approval was adopted on Tuesday 7 July by the ATM and Barcelona City Council, according to EFE's report.

Earlier, the Generalitat had already approved the final administrative step for the second phase of the connection, according to EL PAÍS reporting from 10 April. Barcelona City Council also published its own notice confirming final approval of the project on Info Barcelona.

What it means for people on Diagonal

For tram users, the project is intended to join Barcelona's two existing tram networks through the city centre. For people living, working or trading along Diagonal, the next practical consequence is that the project can move closer to the construction phase on one of the city's main avenues, where works will also reshape public space.

The city has said the tram connection project is paired with reurbanisation plans for the avenue. In a separate official update, Barcelona's mobility department said the reurbanisation project for the second stage of the tram connection was ready, linking transport works with changes to the street layout and public realm on Diagonal.

Final approval has been granted for the project to connect the tram systems in Avinguda Diagonal.

That was the City Council's wording in its April announcement on the official Info Barcelona page, confirming that the scheme had cleared the municipal approval stage.

Where the project now stands

The funding agreement approved this week does not by itself mean passengers will see immediate service changes, but it does settle a central question over the split in financial responsibility between administrations. That issue had remained politically sensitive as the city and the Generalitat moved the project from planning into delivery.

Readers who want to track the next formal steps can check updates from the Barcelona mobility department and the City Council's official project notice. As of Tuesday 7 July, the agreed cost-sharing for the Verdaguer to Francesc Macià section has been approved by the ATM and Barcelona City Council.

Primary sources: Barcelona City Council, barcelona.cat, barcelona.cat. Reported by Alfonso L. Congostrina, EFE, Clara Blanchar, barna.news, Raquel Navarro, Alejandro Díaz, lavanguardia.com, Gerard Pruna, ACN, El Periódico Barcelona.