Electric Minibus Enters Service on Line 112
From Friday, 7 September, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) relaunched the neighbourhood bus line 112 in the Sant Genís dels Agudells area of Horta-Guinardó district. The route, which previously operated between 1998 and 2013 before being absorbed by line 185, now returns with a fully electric minibus as part of TMB’s push for zero-emission public transport. The new line connects Sant Genís with Horta, serving 38 stops along the way. Key access points include Hospital Universitari de la Vall d'Hebron and Horta Market. Passengers can transfer to high-capacity services at Vall d’Hebron (metro lines L3 and L5, bus lines H4 and V15) and Horta (metro L5).
Dedicated Service Hours and Frequency
Line 112 will run seven days a week. On weekdays, it operates from 6:15 to 22:30 with buses arriving every 13 to 15 minutes. Weekend and holiday schedules follow fixed timetables available at stops, on the TMB website, and via the TMB mobile app.
Changes to Line 185 Improve Efficiency
With the reintroduction of line 112, route 185, formerly running from Canyelles to Sant Genís, is shortened. It now terminates at Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron near the hospital complex, reconnecting with metro lines L3 and L5. This adjustment restores much of its pre-2013 routing. The truncated route allows line 185 to use larger 9-metre midi buses instead of minibuses. These will initially run on diesel but are set to switch to hybrid models by the end of the year. The change aims to improve service regularity, operational management, and passenger capacity. All sections of the former 185 route through Sant Genís are now fully covered by the new electric line 112.
“This adjustment is a step forward in sustainable mobility, allowing us to better serve narrow residential streets while reducing emissions,” said a TMB spokesperson.
TMB Expands Zero-Emission Fleet
The launch aligns with TMB’s Strategic Plan 2025 and broader decarbonisation goals. As of late 2025, TMB operates 202 fully electric buses and 46 hydrogen-powered vehicles. An additional 19 articulated electric buses, ordered from BYD for €17.2 million, are scheduled to arrive by late 2026. Earlier trials of the electric minibus model took place on steep routes such as line 116 in La Salut and parts of line 185, testing performance under extreme summer conditions and challenging gradients. These tests confirmed sufficient battery range, up to 200km, to support full daily operations on single-vehicle routes.
Primary sources: Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, noticies.tmb.cat, tmb.cat, gentmb.tmb.cat. Reported by diaricatalunya.cat, lavanguardia.com, totbarcelona.cat, EP, El Periódico, metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, 20minutos.es, barcelonaaldia.com.
