Renfe / ADIF: Barcelona - Sant Andreu (Comtal)

The Sant Andreu Comtal train station, owned by ADIF and operated by Renfe, was known by the locals as "the lower station" (as opposed to Sant Andreu Arenal or "upper station"). Until 2022, it was the oldest operating station in Spain.

Built on the Barcelona - Granollers line, this station began operating when this second Catalan railway line was inaugurated in 1854. The first line was the Barcelona-Mataró line, inaugurated in 1848.

Early stage of Sant Andreu Comtal station

On July 23, 1854, the Caminos de Hierro de Barcelona a Granollers company inaugurated the line of the same name, which already included this station in the then town of Sant Andreu de Palomar (incorporated into Barcelona as a neighborhood in 1897).

The name Sant Andreu Comtal comes from its proximity to the Rec Comtal, the main canal that provided water to Barcelona from the north. It was used to differentiate itself from the Sant Andreu Arenal station, built around 1910 near the intersection of Passeig Fabra i Puig and Avinguda Meridiana by another company (Norte).

Originally, the complex consisted of a ground floor building and two through tracks, with a platform on each side. The building, functional in style and lacking ornamentation, housed the ticket office, a waiting room, and services. Due to the location of the tracks at a lower level, access to the platforms was via lateral stairs from the station building.

Evolution and expansion of the station

In 1861, the station became part of the Company of the Railways from Barcelona to Girona, created by merging with the Railway from Barcelona to Mataró. In 1898, the facilities were absorbed by the Madrid to Zaragoza and Alicante Railway Company (MZA).

The 1930s saw the appearance of parking tracks for trains northwest of the passenger station.

In the following decades, the station underwent several expansions and improvements. Between 1960 and 1965, the branch from Sagrera to Sant Adrià de Besòs was built, resulting in the creation of the so-called Railway Triangle next to Sagrera, the expansion of the tracks at Sant Andreu Comtal station, and the creation of workshops for self-propelled material a little further north, towards Montcada i Reixac.

At its peak in the second half of the 20th century, the station had five platforms, two main tracks, five sidings, and two terminal tracks.

La Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima

The Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima (MTM), dedicated to the manufacture of land and maritime transport, moved to Sant Andreu between 1917 and 1922, settling northeast of the station. Many of the trains that would run in Spain from that date were built in these facilities.

In the late 1980s, MTM was absorbed by the company Gec-Alsthom (now Alstom) and moved to Santa Perpètua de Mogoda.

Last years of the historic station building

In 1989, with the dismantling of the line between the Estació de França and Sant Adrià de Besòs, the Talgo workshops from Poblenou were moved to the east side of the Sant Andreu Comtal exit towards Granollers. During the 2000s, the passage of the high-speed line Barcelona-Figueres reduced the extensive track area to just two tracks with side platforms, while a new station was being built.

The 1854 passenger building continued to be used until December 2, 2022. This building, located at a higher level than the tracks, housed ticket offices, ticket vending machines, and fare barriers on the street-level floor.

The new "Sant Andreu" station

On December 12, 2022, the new underground Sant Andreu station was put into service, dropping the surname "Comtal." This station is located between Sant Adrià and Joan Torras streets, under a slab that covers the tracks.

The new station has a single-story passenger building with a surface area of 696 square meters, which houses a lobby with ticket vending machines, an Integrated Customer Service and Sales Point (AVI), fare control barriers for access to the platforms, and public restrooms.

The trains run on the lower level, consisting of four tracks with two central platforms 210 meters long. Tracks 1 and 2 are the main ones between Sagrera and Montcada, track 4 provides access to the self-propelled material workshops, and track 0 is located between the two main ones and will be used to reverse some trains in the future.

The station features five skylights in the roof that allow natural light to enter, and the platforms are equipped with benches, train destination indicators, intercoms, and signposted routes for visually impaired people. Each platform has a fixed staircase, an escalator, and an elevator.

The station has a single access through a large lobby. Additionally, a 3,100 square meter urban art mural, created by artists Miquel Wert and Roc Blackblock, adorns the side walls of the station, celebrating the railway history of Sant Andreu Comtal.

Historical conservation

The old station building has been out of service since 2022 and has since deteriorated. This was due to the lack of agreement between ADIF and the Barcelona City Council. While both institutions agreed on its conservation, they could not reach an agreement on its economic management, a situation that continues to date (June 2024).

Old Sant Andreu Comtal station (until 12/2022)