Description:
- Series: 300
- Manufacturer: Euskalduna de Construcción y Reparación de Buques, SA
- Track gauge: 1,435 mm
- Dimensions:
- Width: 2.52 m
- Height: 3.60 m
- Length: 14.60 m
- Brought into service: 1924
- Reconstructed: 1949 and 1956
- New colours: 1956
- Withdrawn: 1987
- Restored: 1999
Brief history
Trains like this, which over the years came to form the 300 series, were the ones that ran on 30 December 1924, when the Gran Metro de Barcelona opened between Lesseps and Catalunya, the first metro line in the city and the precursor of today’s Line 3. They ran for over 60 years, until they were finally withdrawn from service at the end of 1987. The ten original Gran Metro trains, which had two cars each, were built by Compañía Euskalduna de Construcción y Reparación de Buques, SA, in Bilbao, between 1920 and 1923. In 1949, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona metro, fluorescent lighting was introduced in the interior of the trains. After various modifications, following the merger with the Metro Transversal in 1956, the black and maroon colours were replaced by blue and cream, individual seats were installed, and the round metro shield was replaced by the rhombus logo.
With the arrival of 18 new 3000 series trains, between 1986 and 1987 the 300 series trains were gradually withdrawn, until the end of December 1987, when they ceased to be used on Line 3. On 12 March 1988 an official farewell journey took place, from Catalunya to the Lesseps depot. In 1999, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Barcelona metro, TMB recovered three cars from the original series: the M1, M6 and M8. Their restoration also included the interiors, which were painted in the original colours used in 1924. They are currently preserved in the Triangle Ferroviari depot and have become valuable additions to the historical collection of the TMB Foundation.
