For millions of travellers, arriving at Barcelona-El Prat Airport could soon become considerably easier. A new rail link is set to connect both terminals, T1 and T2, directly with Barcelona city centre. The infrastructure is now complete and initial test runs have begun. According to current plans, regular passenger services are expected to start in the first half of 2027.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
New airport rail link takes shape
What Barcelona has been planning for years is now becoming a reality: the first test runs have begun on the new railway line to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport.
On 9 August, Spain’s Ministry of Transport released footage showing a train already travelling through the new underground airport rail link. The project has now entered a crucial phase. With most of the technical infrastructure in place, testing is under way to ensure that the track, signalling systems, power supply and trains all work together reliably.
The new service, known as R-Aeroport, is set to provide significantly better links between the airport and Barcelona’s public transport network.
For travellers, one development in particular is significant: in future, both T1 and T2 will have direct rail connections.
Just over 20 minutes to Barcelona
The new service is expected to connect the airport with Barcelona city centre in just over 20 minutes. The exact journey time will depend on the terminal, with Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) planning for around 20 minutes from T2 and approximately 24 minutes from T1.
This is expected to bring travel to and from the airport much closer to the standards already familiar to travellers in other major European cities.
More important than the journey time itself, however, is the combination of a direct service and a high frequency: trains are expected to run every 15 minutes, providing four services an hour to both airport terminals. FGC is planning to operate the service with ten new trains.
T1 to get direct rail connection for the first time
For passengers using Terminal 1, the project is particularly significant. Barcelona Airport has two main passenger terminals. While the existing railway station is located at Terminal 2, T1 currently has no direct access to the regular rail network. The new project is set to fundamentally change that.
The new line features two underground railway stations. One is located directly beneath or within the T1 terminal area, while the second is situated at T2. Both stations have been designed to be fully accessible and include lifts and escalators. For travellers with luggage in particular, this is likely to make a significant difference.
Passengers arriving at T1 who want to continue their journey by train currently have to make their way to the T2 area first. In future, however, the journey should be much simpler:
Plane → Terminal 1 → Railway station → Train → Barcelona.
A tunnel stretching more than four kilometres
The project involves a major construction effort. The new railway line is 5.2 kilometres long in total, with around 4.3 kilometres running underground. The line branches off from the existing railway connection between Barcelona and Vilanova before continuing towards the airport.
The main tunnel was partly constructed using a tunnel boring machine. At the same time, new tracks, power supply systems, safety systems, communications equipment and ventilation systems were installed.
The infrastructure project alone is costing more than €400 million. This is therefore far more than a minor extension to the existing airport transport network, but one of the largest rail projects to have been undertaken in Catalonia in recent years.
Metro Line L9 will also be connected
The new rail link will not operate in isolation. One of the two new stations – the one at Terminal 2 – will be directly connected to Metro Line L9. This will allow passengers to transfer between the new train service and the metro without having to leave the airport grounds.
Metro Line L9 has connected the airport with the wider Barcelona metropolitan area since 2016. However, it does not run directly into the traditional city centre, instead terminating at Zona Universitària station. This is where the key difference with the new airport rail link lies.
The metro will remain an important link within Barcelona’s underground network. The R-Aeroport, by contrast, is intended to provide a fast connection to the wider railway network and onward towards the city centre.
What will happen to the existing T2 railway station?
The existing Rodalies railway station at Terminal 2 has a long history. It opened in 1975 and has since served as the airport’s main rail connection.
With the opening of the new underground station, the existing railway station is set to close. The new infrastructure will then take over its role as the airport’s main rail connection. After decades, Barcelona will have a modern airport rail link designed specifically to meet the demands of a major international airport.
Every 15 minutes – a major improvement on the current service
The timetable is also set to change significantly. The new R-Aeroport service is expected to run every 15 minutes, effectively doubling the frequency of the current direct rail service. For travellers, this will mean greater flexibility.
Passengers who narrowly miss a train or take a little longer to collect their luggage will no longer have to wait as long for the next service. At an airport handling millions of passengers each year, this is an important factor.
Ten new trains for the airport line
Ten new trains will be used to operate the service. They are being built by French rail technology company Alstom at its plant in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, in the Barcelona metropolitan area. The first trains are already undergoing testing, with validation of the first train beginning in October 2025, according to the project.
The new trains are specifically designed for airport services. This is particularly important because travellers with suitcases and larger pieces of luggage have different requirements than commuters using conventional regional rail services.
Up to nine million passengers expected each year
Expectations for the new service are high. Adif estimates that, once fully operational, the line could carry between seven and nine million passengers a year. This could make the R-Aeroport one of the most important public transport links between Barcelona and its airport.
The project is also significant for the city for another reason: Barcelona is one of Europe’s most visited cities. El Prat Airport is correspondingly busy, making the question of how visitors can reach the city quickly and reliably increasingly important.
When will the new service start?
There is still no confirmed opening date. According to FGC, regular passenger services are expected to begin in the first half of 2027. However, Carles Ruiz, president of the Catalan railway company, stressed that it is still difficult to set a specific date at this stage.
The extensive testing and approval procedures still need to be completed. However, the fact that test runs are already under way is an important sign: the project is no longer in its early construction phase and is now moving closer to actual operations.
What does this mean for holidaymakers?
For tourists, the new service could become one of the most useful additions to Barcelona’s public transport network. Passengers arriving at T1, for example, will no longer have to travel to another terminal to catch a train.
Passengers arriving at T2 will also benefit from a modern underground railway station. Combined with services running every 15 minutes, this could make the train an attractive alternative to taxis, airport buses and the metro for many visitors.
However, the advertised “20 minutes” should not be taken too literally. The figure refers to the fast connection between the airport and the city centre or central rail connections. Travellers heading to a hotel in Gràcia, Barceloneta or another part of the city may still need to make an additional transfer.
How much will the journey cost?
One important question remains unanswered: exactly how the new service will be integrated into Barcelona’s existing public transport and ticketing system.
While the infrastructure and operating plans are largely in place, specific details on which ticket types will be valid in future, as well as any possible special airport fares, have not yet been officially confirmed.
For travellers, this means that anyone currently using a T-Casual, T-Usual or other integrated tickets should check the applicable fare rules for the new R-Aeroport service before it opens. Airport connections can be subject to special fare conditions.
Barcelona catches up on airport rail connections
The new line will also strengthen Barcelona’s position compared with other European cities.
Other major cities have had fast rail links between their airports and city centres for years. Barcelona already has public transport connections to the airport, including Metro Line L9 and the existing Rodalies service, but it has so far lacked the combination of direct rail access to both terminals, a short journey time and a 15-minute frequency.
The R-Aeroport is intended to fill precisely this gap. The new service is therefore more than just another transport project. It is an effort to better connect El Prat Airport with Barcelona city centre and the wider regional rail network.
A project with implications for the wider Barcelona metropolitan area
The impact is likely to extend beyond tourism. Commuters, airport employees and residents across the Barcelona metropolitan area could also benefit from the new connection. A reliable rail link could be particularly attractive when roads around El Prat are heavily congested.
At the same time, the new stations will improve connections between different modes of transport, allowing rail, metro and other public transport services to be better integrated.
Barcelona is therefore embracing a principle that has long been standard in many European cities: the airport should not only be accessible by road and bus, but should also be seamlessly integrated into the public rail network wherever possible.
The next major step comes in 2027
The trains still need to undergo testing and the technical systems must be approved. However, the key infrastructure is already complete. Test runs have begun, ten new trains are ready for future operations, and the two underground stations at T1 and T2 form part of an entirely new airport rail connection.
If the timetable stays on track, travellers will be able to use the R-Aeroport service from the airport towards Barcelona for the first time during the first half of 2027. For the Catalan capital, this would mark an important step forward: from plane straight onto the train – and from the airport to the city centre in just over 20 minutes.
