During the week of 15 July, Moventis, as part of TRAM, commenced operational testing on the new tram section in Barcelona. At 10:30 p.m., a tram departed from Glòries station and travelled along the newly laid tracks, turning onto Diagonal and continuing as far as Verdaguer. This first journey made use of the underground catenary system (APS), a third-rail technology that supplies electricity from the ground rather than traditional overhead wires.

During these integration tests, the tram moved at a cautious speed of five kilometres per hour while around twenty technicians monitored the tracks, electrical connections, stations, traffic light coordination and communication systems. The trials were conducted overnight to avoid disrupting the city’s daily activity.

These first tests will help plan further trials and “blank runs”, in which trams will operate without passengers under real conditions, with traffic lights and station stops fully adjusted. The general director of the Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM), Manuel Valdés, stressed that safety is the overriding priority, and no progress will be made until every aspect has been thoroughly verified.

The €190 million project also included major urban improvements to Diagonal: wider pavements, new green areas and a large cycle lane. The urbanisation of the two-kilometre section is practically complete, although the planting of grass and shrubs has been postponed until autumn due to drought restrictions. The extension will add two kilometres of track and three new stops: Verdaguer, Sicília and Monumental. The full journey will take seven minutes and is expected to almost double ridership, adding 24,000 passengers to the current 30,000.

Although tests will not be carried out daily, progress will continue in line with results to guarantee the safety and proper operation of the urban railway system. Following two years of construction, everything is ready except for the rolling stock. A collector has also been installed to absorb rainwater.

The APS system, used in the third rail, has been fitted in a tram in Spain for the first time and only for the second time worldwide, following its introduction in Istanbul. The system was chosen for Diagonal to avoid overhead wiring and enhance the aesthetics of the infrastructure. Looking ahead, the tram is expected to extend to Francesc Macià Square to connect the two networks, although no start date for the works has yet been announced.