Starting 8 September 2025, five intercity bus lines connecting the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) campus in Bellaterra with surrounding municipalities will undergo significant service improvements, backed by new funding from the Generalitat de Catalunya.
The changes aim to reduce congestion and improve access for the more than 50,000 daily commuters, students, staff and visitors, who travel to the campus, which the regional government describes as a 'major intermodal hub'.
Expanded Services Across Key Routes
The Barcelona-Cerdanyola-UAB line has already increased its weekday service since 22 September 2024, offering 204 daily journeys between 6:00 a.m. and 10:40 p.m., 54 more than before. Notably, direct trips from Barcelona to UAB have risen from 4 to 27 per day, cutting travel times significantly. Full details are available on the operator’s website: moventis.es.
From the same date, the Sabadell-Barberà-Badia-UAB line now runs 16 return journeys Monday to Friday between 6:45 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., up by 12 daily trips. The route serves key towns in the Vallès Occidental region and is operated by Moventis.
Starting 8 September 2025, the Mataró-Argentona-UAB line will offer 14 round-trip journeys daily from 6:35 a.m. to 9:15 p.m., increasing capacity by 21.7%. The Plaça de les Teresses stop will be replaced by a new stop at the intersection of Ronda General Prim and Goya Street. More information is at moventis.es.
The Igualada-Martorell-UAB line will also expand from 8 September, adding one extra round trip for a total of three daily journeys every day of the week. The first departure from Igualada to UAB will be at 6:35 a.m., with the last return from UAB at 7:15 p.m. The service increase represents a 50% boost. Details are available at catalunya.monbus.es.
Montcada-Ripollet Line to Add 24 Daily Journeys
Further improvements are confirmed for the Montcada-Ripollet-UAB-Bellaterra route, which will offer 24 daily trips in each direction starting 8 September 2025, according to a government announcement. The enhanced frequency aims to meet rising demand from commuters in the northern metropolitan area.
The university already has strong connections. What it must now ensure is that those connections don’t cause traffic jams for local residents.
The upgrades align with broader efforts to shift travel patterns: seven in ten UAB students already use public transport, up from half a decade ago. The changes support the university’s urban master plan to create a more integrated, permeable campus linked to neighbouring towns like Cerdanyola, Sabadell and Barberà.
Local officials from Badia del Vallès and Sabadell have welcomed the improvements, seeing them as vital for reducing car dependency, easing congestion and fostering a shared knowledge economy around the UAB campus.
Primary sources: govern.cat. Reported by diaricatalunya.cat, UAB - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Clàudia Mas, Glòria Ayuso, IERMB.
