Line 5's initial section was opened on July 21, 1959. It was initially known as Line II and was part of the Ferrocarril Metropolitano de Barcelona (FMB), one of the two
rapid transit companies that would merge to form the
Barcelona Metro. The initial section was a 5 station, 2.3 km route linking
Vilapicina to
La Sagrera, where a connection to FMB's
Metro Transversal was provided. The line saw the pioneer use of a
photoelectric cell-based
automatic train operation system developed by the
Barcelona Metro in 1960. In 1967, it would be extended from
Vilapicina to
Horta. A separate project, known as Transversal Alt or Line V would open in 1969, with the initial section running from
Collblanc (then known as
Sant Ramon) to
Diagonal. In 1970, the line would be extended from
Diagonal to
La Sagrera, with Line II merging into Line V. The line was expanded towards
Hospitalet and
Cornellà in the 1970s, with an extension to
Pubilla Cases opening in 1973 and a further one to
Sant Ildefons in 1976. The line would reach its current terminus in
Cornellà Centre in 1983. In 1982, with a major reorganization of
TMB's network, several stations were renamed (such as
General Mola, which became
Verdaguer) and Line V became Line 5, as
Roman numerals were abandoned. The line would be extended from
Horta towards
Vall d'Hebron during the 2000s. While works began in 2002, construction ran into trouble as tunneling works caused a major collapse in
El Carmel neighborhood in 2005. 3 buildings had to be demolished and around a thousand neighbors were displaced. The extension to the line's current terminus at
Vall d'Hebron would finally open in 2010, providing a new connection to
Line 3. A new infill station,
Ernest Lluch, opened in 2021 in
Les Corts, providing a connection to the existing
Trambaix station.
Chronology • 1959 –
La Sagrera-
Vilapicina section opened (as the former Line II) • 1967 –
Vilapicina-
Horta section opened (as the former Line II) • 1969 –
Collblanc-
Diagonal section opened as Line V. • 1970 –
Diagonal-
Vilapicina section opened. The line then known as Line II is integrated into Line V. • 1973 –
Collblanc-
Pubilla Cases section opened. • 1976 –
Pubilla Cases-
Sant Ildefons section opened. • 1982 – Line V becomes Line 5 and several stations change names. • 1983 –
Sant Ildefons-
Cornellà Centre section opened. • 2010 –
Horta-
Vall d'Hebron section opened. • 2021 –
Ernest Lluch opened. == Stations==