The Bilbao metro ( es, Metro de Bilbao, eu, Bilboko metroa) is a
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
system serving the city of
Bilbao
)
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, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
and the region of
Greater Bilbao
Greater Bilbao (Basque: ''Bilboaldea'', Spanish: ''Gran Bilbao'') is an administrative division of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas of Biscay and the most populated one. The capital city of Gr ...
. Lines 1 and 2 have a "Y" shape, as they transit both banks of the river
Ibaizabal
The Ibaizabal (''wide river'' in Basque) is a river that drains southeastern Biscay to the Estuary of Bilbao. It is long from its source at Elorrio to the Nervión, and it passes by the towns of Durango and Amorebieta and joins the Nervión rive ...
and then combine to form one line that ends in the south of
Bilbao
)
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize = 275 px
, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
. Line 3 has a "V" shape connecting the municipality of
Etxebarri
Etxebarri, Doneztebeko Elizatea ( es, Etxebarri, Anteiglesia de San Esteban) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Basque Community, in the North of Spain.
Since 13 January 2005, the name of "Etxebarri ...
with the Bilbao neighbourhood of Matiko; the apex of the "V" is
Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo station, where all three current lines meet. The metro is connected with the
Bilbao tram
The Bilbao tram ( eu, Bilboko tranbia, es, Tranvía de Bilbao) is a tram system in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. Operated by Euskotren under the brand Euskotren Tranbia (which also manages the tram system in Vitoria-Gasteiz), it comprises a s ...
,
Bilboko Aldiriak (
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
services),
Euskotren Trena
Euskotren Trena, formerly known just as ''Euskotren'' is a commuter, inter-city and urban transit train-operating company that operates local and inter-city passenger services in the provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, S ...
(commuter rail services),
Feve
Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of 2 ...
(commuter rail services, regional and long-distance trains),
Renfe long-distance trains and
Bilbao
)
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize = 275 px
, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
's bus station (
Bilbao Intermodal
Bilbao Intermodal, previously known as Termibus, is the main bus station of Bilbao (Basque Country (Autonomous community), Basque Country, Spain) and it is located beside San Mamés Stadium (1913), San Mamés Stadium. The bus terminal is linked to ...
). All three lines use
metre gauge
Metre-gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre.
The metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by European colonial powers, such as the French, British and German Empires. In Europe, la ...
.
, the Metro operates on of
route
Route or routes may refer to:
* Route (gridiron football), a path run by a wide receiver
* route (command), a program used to configure the routing table
* Route, County Antrim, an area in Northern Ireland
* ''The Route'', a 2013 Ugandan film
* Ro ...
, with 48 stations. It is the third-busiest metro in Spain, after the
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
metro systems.
The system was inaugurated in 1995, partially taking over a suburban railway line operated by
Euskotren
Euskotren, formally known as Basque Railways ( eu, Eusko Trenbideak, es, Ferrocarriles Vascos), is a public railway company controlled by the Basque Government and officially established in 1982 to operate several narrow gauge railways inside ...
, first opened in 1887.
A second line was added in 2002, running together with
line 1 within Bilbao, and then serving towns along the left bank of the
Ibaizabal-Nervion estuary.
Line 3, operated by
Euskotren
Euskotren, formally known as Basque Railways ( eu, Eusko Trenbideak, es, Ferrocarriles Vascos), is a public railway company controlled by the Basque Government and officially established in 1982 to operate several narrow gauge railways inside ...
, opened in 2017. Unlike the first two lines, which form an isolated system, line 3 is operated jointly with the
Euskotren Trena
Euskotren Trena, formerly known just as ''Euskotren'' is a commuter, inter-city and urban transit train-operating company that operates local and inter-city passenger services in the provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, S ...
commuter railway network.
Lines and stations
Lines
Stations
The main station of the network is
Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo, the only one in which all three lines meet. Since
line 3 is operated as part of the wider
Euskotren Trena
Euskotren Trena, formerly known just as ''Euskotren'' is a commuter, inter-city and urban transit train-operating company that operates local and inter-city passenger services in the provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, S ...
network, the station is also the main hub for
Euskotren
Euskotren, formally known as Basque Railways ( eu, Eusko Trenbideak, es, Ferrocarriles Vascos), is a public railway company controlled by the Basque Government and officially established in 1982 to operate several narrow gauge railways inside ...
's commuter railway services in Bilbao. Other important interchange stations are
Abando
Abando, formerly known as ''San Vicente de Abando'', is one of the eight districts of Bilbao, Basque Country (Spain). It covers most of the city's centre, located on the left bank of the estuary of Bilbao. It is the only district of Bilbao with ...
(connections to
Cercanías
The commuter rail systems of Spain's major metropolitan areas are called ''Cercanías'' () in most of Spain, ''Rodalia'' () in the Valencian Community, ''Aldiriak'' () in the Basque Country and ''Rodalies'' () in Catalonia. There are twelve ''Ce ...
and
Feve
Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of 2 ...
commuter railway lines and
Renfe's long distance services) and
Santimami/San Mamés (connections to
Cercanías
The commuter rail systems of Spain's major metropolitan areas are called ''Cercanías'' () in most of Spain, ''Rodalia'' () in the Valencian Community, ''Aldiriak'' () in the Basque Country and ''Rodalies'' () in Catalonia. There are twelve ''Ce ...
and the
main bus terminal).
Urbinaga station on
line 2 was built as a future interchange station with two
Cercanías
The commuter rail systems of Spain's major metropolitan areas are called ''Cercanías'' () in most of Spain, ''Rodalia'' () in the Valencian Community, ''Aldiriak'' () in the Basque Country and ''Rodalies'' () in Catalonia. There are twelve ''Ce ...
commuter rail lines. However, , the commuter rail station is not yet built, having been postponed several times.
Additionally, the
Bilbao tram
The Bilbao tram ( eu, Bilboko tranbia, es, Tranvía de Bilbao) is a tram system in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. Operated by Euskotren under the brand Euskotren Tranbia (which also manages the tram system in Vitoria-Gasteiz), it comprises a s ...
has stops near the
Santimami/San Mamés,
Abando
Abando, formerly known as ''San Vicente de Abando'', is one of the eight districts of Bilbao, Basque Country (Spain). It covers most of the city's centre, located on the left bank of the estuary of Bilbao. It is the only district of Bilbao with ...
and
Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo stations. Besides this, most stations have several bus connections.
Network map
History
Background and early proposals
The first proposal for building a metro system in
Bilbao
)
, motto =
, image_map =
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, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
was made in the 1920s. The network was planned to have two lines connecting
Atxuri station with the westernmost parts of the city (at the time), each running via a different route.
Banco Español de Crédito, which was to have backed the project financially, withdrew in 1925; rendering the project infeasible.
The proposal for a metro system was definitively abandoned after the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
.
In 1971 the government of
Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...
, the Bilbao City Council and the Commerce Bureau created a commission to evaluate the transportation needs of
Greater Bilbao
Greater Bilbao (Basque: ''Bilboaldea'', Spanish: ''Gran Bilbao'') is an administrative division of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas of Biscay and the most populated one. The capital city of Gr ...
. In 1974, the Spanish government pledged to give financial support to a metro project.
In 1976, the
Biscay Transport Consortium was created. Two years later, in 1977, three proposals were made to build a metro line by 1985. Of these proposals, the first one was almost identical to the current network.
The project for the construction of a metro was approved in 1977. However, many objections were raised against it, which together with disagreements between different institutions put the project on hold.
In 1983 the
Basque Government
The Basque Government ( eu, Eusko Jaurlaritza, es, Gobierno Vasco) is the governing body of the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. The head of the Basque government is known as the ''Lehendakari''. The Lehendakari is appointed by the Basque P ...
approved a plan for transportation on the right bank of the
Estuary of Bilbao
The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this inst ...
, but its execution was delayed. The document was rewritten in 1985, and in 1987 the plan to build and fund the metro was approved.
Construction
A metro system was deemed to be the best way to improve congestion problems in the evolving and regenerating city. The design for the underground stations was awarded to the architects
Sir Norman Foster
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...
and partners in 1988 following an open competition.
The construction of the first line involved converting to rapid transit standards
Euskotren
Euskotren, formally known as Basque Railways ( eu, Eusko Trenbideak, es, Ferrocarriles Vascos), is a public railway company controlled by the Basque Government and officially established in 1982 to operate several narrow gauge railways inside ...
's existing suburban railway line between
San Inazio
Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spain, Spanish Catholic ...
and
Plentzia eu, Plentziar
, population_note =
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, blank_info_sec1 =
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, utc_offset = +1
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, utc_offse ...
. The first works started in late 1988, with the existing
Erandio station being put underground.
In the city itself, a new tunnel was built between
San Inazio
Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spain, Spanish Catholic ...
and
Casco Viejo
or in Spanish or or in Basque are different names for the medieval neighbourhood of Bilbao, part of the Ibaiondo district. The names mean ''Seven Streets'' or ''Old Town'' respectively and it used to be the walled part of the town until th ...
. The central
Moyúa
Moyúa, or Elliptic Square, is a public square located in the center of Bilbao's extension, in the district of Abando. The square was conceived in 1876 as a central hub in the middle of Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro avenue, from where th ...
square was closed to pedestrians from 1990
to 1997 due to construction activity. The works were especially complicated in the neighborhoods of
Deusto
Deusto, also known as Deustu in Basque and formerly known as ''San Pedro de Deusto'', is one of the eight districts of Bilbao,
(Spain). It is located on the right side of the Bilbao estuary, in the northwestern part of the city and bordering t ...
and
San Inazio
Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spain, Spanish Catholic ...
, where the
cut and cover
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...
tunnel excavation slightly damaged some buildings, was very noisy, and caused severe traffic disruptions. This method of excavation contrasted with the
tunnel-boring machine
A tunnel boring machine (TBM), also known as a "mole", is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They may also be used for microtunneling. They can be designed to bore throu ...
s used elsewhere in the city.
Line 1
The first stretch of
line 1 was opened on 11 November 1995, with 23 stations between
Casco Viejo
or in Spanish or or in Basque are different names for the medieval neighbourhood of Bilbao, part of the Ibaiondo district. The names mean ''Seven Streets'' or ''Old Town'' respectively and it used to be the walled part of the town until th ...
and
Plentzia eu, Plentziar
, population_note =
, population_density_km2 = auto
, blank_name_sec1 =
, blank_info_sec1 =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST = CEST
, utc_offse ...
. The tracks outside Bilbao were previously part of
Euskotren
Euskotren, formally known as Basque Railways ( eu, Eusko Trenbideak, es, Ferrocarriles Vascos), is a public railway company controlled by the Basque Government and officially established in 1982 to operate several narrow gauge railways inside ...
's Bilbao-Plentzia line, with parts of the alignment dating from 1887.
By 5 July 1997 the total number of stations was 27 as
Santutxu
Santutxu is a neighbourhood of the Spanish city of Bilbao. It belongs to the 4th urban district, named Begoña. It is a popular residential neighbourhood which has a significant number of small businesses and has received some waves of immigrati ...
,
Basarrate and
Bolueta joined
Gobela which had opened the previous year.
Line 2
The first line, which operates north of the
River Nervión, was later joined by a
second line, which operates south of the river. The two lines split at San Inazio, from where the second runs to Santurtzi. The original five stations (Gurutzeta-Cruces, Ansio, Barakaldo, Bagatza and Urbinaga) were opened on 13 April 2002. The furthest eastern point is now Etxebarri station, opened along with Sestao on 8 January 2005. Line 2 was enlarged with two new stations in
Portugalete
Portugalete is a town lying to the west of Bilbao in the province of Biscay in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.
The town has 45,766 inhabitants (2019 census) and is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area. It is located a ...
that were opened on 20 January 2007 (Abatxolo and Portugalete). Two new stations joined the Metro system on 4 July 2009 in
Santurtzi
Santurtzi ( es, Santurce; eu, Santurtzi ) is a port town in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the Nervión river, on its left bank, 14 km dow ...
: Peñota and Santurtzi stations. In 2014, the station of Kabiezes was inaugurated.
Line 3
Following the commencement of works in the middle of 2009, it was inaugurated on 8 April 2017. It cost 279 million euros, significantly more than the original 153 million euro budget.
and was expected to transport 71,000 people according to Bilbao council. The third line has a length of 5,885 metres and has one station in
Etxebarri
Etxebarri, Doneztebeko Elizatea ( es, Etxebarri, Anteiglesia de San Esteban) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Basque Community, in the North of Spain.
Since 13 January 2005, the name of "Etxebarri ...
: Kukullaga-Etxebarri, and six stations in
Bilbao
)
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize = 275 px
, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
: Otxarkoaga, Txurdinaga, Zurbaranbarri, Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo, Uribarri and Matiko.
Future
Extensions to Line 1
A new station in the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Getxo
Getxo () is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in Spain.
It is part of Greater Bilbao, and has 77,946 inhabitants (2019). Getxo is mostly an affluent residential area, as well as being the ...
called "Ibarbengoa-Getxo" was expected to be open in 2010, but was delayed until early 2012, and then to 2015. It is also expected that the level crossings located in Maidagan and Urduliz will be buried.
Extensions to Line 2
It is not expected to expand the line further from Kabiezes, despite the requests of the neighbors of the Mining Zone and Ortuella, where the parking area of the Metro units will be located.
Extensions to common line (Lines 1 and 2)
Basauri
Basauri is a major municipality of Biscay, in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain.
The town is a part of the Greater Bilbao conurbation, being only a few kilometers south of Bilbao. It is an industrial town that also i ...
's town hall, along with the neighbouring towns, requested the construction of another station in
Basauri
Basauri is a major municipality of Biscay, in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain.
The town is a part of the Greater Bilbao conurbation, being only a few kilometers south of Bilbao. It is an industrial town that also i ...
, in the neighborhood of Sarratu. That station would work as an interchange station for different means of transportation. In the last months of 2009, Metro Bilbao announced that it would consider the creation of that station in Basauri, as it would work as an intermodal station for the services of
Euskotren Trena
Euskotren Trena, formerly known just as ''Euskotren'' is a commuter, inter-city and urban transit train-operating company that operates local and inter-city passenger services in the provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, S ...
;
FEVE
Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of 2 ...
(which only has
cargo
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
services in that location); and even with Line 5 of the metro.
Line 3 expansion
![Estación de Zazpikaleak Casco Viejo 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Estaci%C3%B3n_de_Zazpikaleak_Casco_Viejo_2.jpg)
In a second phase, the third line will be expanded to
Bilbao Airport
Bilbao Airport is a minor international airport located north of Bilbao, in the municipality of Loiu, in Biscay. It is the largest airport in the Basque Country and northern Spain, with 5,469,453 passengers in 2018. It is famous for its new ...
, using a tunnel of double rail and with a length of 1,875 metres under
Mount Artxanda
Mount Artxanda ( eu, Artxanda mendia; es, Monte Archanda) is one of the two small mountain ranges that delimit the municipality of Bilbao, the other one being Pagasarri. Of the two, it is the lower one (at no more than 300 m.), the closer one to ...
.
Line 4 project (Under study)
The preliminary layout of the future Line 4 (
Moyúa
Moyúa, or Elliptic Square, is a public square located in the center of Bilbao's extension, in the district of Abando. The square was conceived in 1876 as a central hub in the middle of Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro avenue, from where th ...
/
Rekalde) was presented on 25 January 2008. The preliminary layout suggests that Moyúa Station, which gives service to Line 1 and Line 2, will connect with
Rekalde with two intermediate stations: ''Zabalburu'' (which has a
suburban rail station) and Irala. There have been discussions about the ramifications of whether to connect with either Moyúa Station or
Bilbao Abando Station, this is due to the fact that Rekalde did not have a Metro connection. Line 3 was planned to connect Rekalde with the rest of the city, but the final plan moved the line in another direction.
The plan to add Rekalde to Line 3 was halted, and the route completely altered. This change was criticised, especially by people from Rekalde. In 2009 a new layout for a new line (Line 4) was considered; this new line would connect Rekalde with Moyúa and the latter station with
Deusto
Deusto, also known as Deustu in Basque and formerly known as ''San Pedro de Deusto'', is one of the eight districts of Bilbao,
(Spain). It is located on the right side of the Bilbao estuary, in the northwestern part of the city and bordering t ...
, taking advantage of the rail tracks of Euskotren Trena, that are in that zone. Matiko Station would be connected too. The line would then have the Plaza Euskadi Station ("Euskadi Square Station") after Moyúa and then cross the river to
Deusto
Deusto, also known as Deustu in Basque and formerly known as ''San Pedro de Deusto'', is one of the eight districts of Bilbao,
(Spain). It is located on the right side of the Bilbao estuary, in the northwestern part of the city and bordering t ...
(Deusto Station) and a new station in the
University of Deusto
The University of Deusto ( es, Universidad de Deusto; eu, Deustuko Unibertsitatea) is a Spanish private university owned by the Society of Jesus, with campuses in Bilbao and San Sebastián, and the Deusto Business School branch in Madrid. The Un ...
campus (Unibersitatea), to then reach Matiko (Line 3).
Line 5 project (Under study)
Also on 25 January 2008 the preliminary layout for Line 5 (
Etxebarri
Etxebarri, Doneztebeko Elizatea ( es, Etxebarri, Anteiglesia de San Esteban) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Basque Community, in the North of Spain.
Since 13 January 2005, the name of "Etxebarri ...
/
Usansolo) was presented. This new line would connect Etxebarri with
Galdakao
Galdakao is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.
It is located in the Greater Bilbao, in the valley of the Ibaizabal river, near the Ganguren mountain range. ...
. At first it was only planned for the line to have five stations, however the line is still on studies and may suffer major modifications.
[Se inician los estudios técnicos para construir las líneas 4 y 5 del metro a Usansolo y Rekalde Deia](_blank)
Later, one more station was added, on the Bengoetxe neighbourhood on Galdakao.
The line was expected to begin constructed in 2012 and was expected to be finished in 2016.
The stations on the preliminary layout are Etxebarri (which gives service to Line 2 and Line 1), Aperribai, Bengoetxe, Galdakao, Galdakao's Hospital, and Usansolo, where the metro will be connected with lines 1, 1d and 3 from Euskotren Trena, which operate in that station.
Once the line is finished, there are plans for the line to become an extension of Line 2 from Etxebarri Station, while Line 1 would reach the center of
Basauri
Basauri is a major municipality of Biscay, in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain.
The town is a part of the Greater Bilbao conurbation, being only a few kilometers south of Bilbao. It is an industrial town that also i ...
.
[http://www.deia.com/es/impresa/2006/04/23/bizkaia/herrialdeak/241839.php]
Operation
Zones
![metro bilbao guneak](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Metro_bilbao_guneak.png)
The Metro Bilbao network is divided into the following fare zones:
*
Zone 1 (Bilbao), from
Bolueta (main line for L1 and L2) to
San Inazio
Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spain, Spanish Catholic ...
(main line for L1 and L2), inclusive.
*
Zone 2 (Upper Nervion),
Etxebarri
Etxebarri, Doneztebeko Elizatea ( es, Etxebarri, Anteiglesia de San Esteban) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Basque Community, in the North of Spain.
Since 13 January 2005, the name of "Etxebarri ...
and
Ariz
TRIZ (; russian: теория решения изобретательских задач, ', lit. "theory of inventive problem solving") is “the next evolutionary step in creating an organized and systematic approach to problem solving. The deve ...
(main line for L1 and L2).
*
Zone 2A (Right Bank of the river), from
Lutxana (Line 1) to
Berango
, population_note =
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(Line 1), inclusive.
*
Zone 2B (Left Bank of the river), from
Gurutzeta/Cruces (Line 2) to
Kabiezes (Line 2), inclusive.
*
Zone 3 (Uribe Kosta), from
Larrabasterra (Line 1) to
Plentzia eu, Plentziar
, population_note =
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, blank_name_sec1 =
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, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST = CEST
, utc_offse ...
(Line 1), inclusive.
Cards (retired)
Metro Bilbao offered special cards that are personal and cannot be transferred, replaced by
Barik cards on 2017, with a time limit of 5 years since the date of issue. They can be obtained at any of the customer service offices of Metro Bilbao (located in the stations of Ansio, Casco Viejo, San Inazio and Areeta).
*Carnet Kidea Socio (''Kidea Member Card''): For use with monthly tickets and Super 50 tickets.
*Carnet Gaztea Joven (''Youth Gaztea Card''): For use with the youth ticket, monthly ticket and Super 50 tickets.
*Carnet Hirukotrans (''Hirukotrans Card''): For use with the Hirukotrans ticket.
*Carnet Gizatrans (''Gizatrans Card''): For use with Gizatrans ticket.
*Carnet Gizatrans para familia numerosa (''Gizatrans card for large families''): For use with Gizatrans ticket for large families.
Tickets and fares
![metrob4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Metrob4.jpg)
The ticket system is closed, which means that validation of the ticket is required when entering the station and again when exiting.
There are different types of tickets, each of which has a different fare (updated as 2009):
Metro Bilbao exclusive use
*Occasional ticket: One-way ticket. Can be transferred. ''Fares: 1 Zone: 1,40€; 2 Zones: 1,50€; 3 Zones: 1,60€''
*Round-trip ticket: Valid for two trips (going and coming back). Can be transferred. ''Fares: 1 Zone: 2,80€; 2 Zones: 3€; 3 Zones: 3,20€''
*Billete Día (''Day Ticket''): Unlimited trips the same day of the expedition of the ticket. Can be transferred. ''Fare: 4€ (valid in all zones).''
*Billete colectivo (''Groupal ticket''): Valid for one trip or round trip, to be made on a specific date. Only for groups of 20 people or more. ''Fare: Variable''.
= Retired
=
On 2017
the following tikets was replaced by the
Barik cards:
*Billete Mensual (''Month Ticket''): Unlimited trips in 30 days. Personal and cannot be transferred. A "Carnet Joven" (''Youth Card''), "Carnet de Socio del Metro" (''Metro Honorary Member Card'') or "Carnet Plus" (''Plus Card'') is required to obtain this ticket. ''Fare: 1 Zone: 29,40€; 2 Zones: 35€; 3 Zones: 40,70€''
*Ticket Joven (''Youth Ticket''): Unlimited trips in 12 months. Personal and cannot be transferred. To obtain one is needed to have less than 26 years and a Youth Card. ''Fares: 1 Zone: 188€; 2 Zones: 221€; 3 Zones: 255€''
*Super 50: Valid for 50 trips, to be made in 30 days. Personal cand cannot be transferred. A "Carnet Joven" (''Youth Card''), "Carnet de Socio del Metro" (''Metro Honorary Member Card'') or "Carnet Plus" (''Plus Card'') is required to obtain this ticket. ''Fares: 1 Zone: 24,50€; 2 Zones: 29€; 3 Zones: 32,50€''
Combined tickets
*Combined ticket with Renfe (Uria): Valid for 10 trips. Can be transferred. Can be obtained in ''
Abando Station'' and ''San Mames Station''. The Uria ticket can be used in the following stations: Metro Bilbao: Zone A.
Cercanías
The commuter rail systems of Spain's major metropolitan areas are called ''Cercanías'' () in most of Spain, ''Rodalia'' () in the Valencian Community, ''Aldiriak'' () in the Basque Country and ''Rodalies'' () in Catalonia. There are twelve ''Ce ...
: ''
Bilbao-Abando'', ''Zabalburu Station'', ''Ametzola Station'', ''Autonomía Station'', ''San Mamés Station'', ''Olabeaga Station'', ''Zorrotza Station'', ''Miribilla Station'' and ''La Peña Station''. The change between Renfe and Metro should be of 20 minutes or less. ''Fare: 9,65€''.
*Combined ticket with Euskotren Trena. Valid for 10 trips, monthly or annual. Valid in the stations of ''Casco Viejo'' and ''Bolueta''. The change between Euskotren Trena and Metro should be of 15 minutes or less.
Barik cards
![BarikAnonimaFront](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/BarikAnonimaFront.svg)
*
Creditrans
Creditrans was a travel card used to travel around Biscay, in the Basque Country (Spain). The card was the most popular ticket in the area, used by over 100 million passengers in 2007.
History
When the Metro Bilbao system was created in 1995 the ...
. Valid for as many trips as the money charge (pre-paid) of the card supports. Can be transferred and used several times in the same trip. Creditrans is a pre-paid card that can be used in Metro Bilbao, Euskotren Trena, the
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
,
FEVE
Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of 2 ...
,
Bilbobus
Bilbobus is the name for metropolitan bus services in Bilbao.
The service is owned by the city council of Bilbao. Operations will be transferred to Veolia Transport, the company that won the contract in May 2008. The buses can be distinguished by ...
,
Bizkaibus
BizkaiBus is the name for bus services serving the province of Biscay, Spain. It is named after the Basque name of the province, ''Bizkaia''. The buses can be identified by their distinctive green (until 2009 yellow) livery.
The bus network is i ...
,
Artxanda Funicular
The Artxanda Funicular ( eu, Artxandako funikularra; es, Funicular de Artxanda) is a funicular railway in the city of Bilbao in Spain's Basque Country. It links downtown Bilbao with the recreational area at the summit of the nearby Artxanda Mo ...
,
Vizcaya Bridge
The Vizcaya Bridge (''Bizkaiko Zubia'' in Basque, ''Puente de Vizcaya'' in Spanish) is a transporter bridge that links the towns of Portugalete and Las Arenas (part of Getxo) in the Biscay province of Spain, crossing the mouth of the Nervion R ...
, Lujua's Bus, Etxebarri Bus and Sopelbus. ''Fares: 1 Zone: 0,69€; 2 Zones: 0,83€; 3 Zones: 0,93€''. Creditrans is the most popular and most used ticket system on Metro Bilbao and some other transportation systems.
*Gizatrans (only valid for people older than 65 or some kind of physical disadvantage). Personal and cannot be transferred. It can be used in the same places as Creditrans with the exceptions of Sopelbus,
FEVE
Renfe Feve is a division of state-owned Spanish railway company Renfe Operadora. It operates most of Spain's of railway. This division of Renfe was previously a stand-alone company named FEVE (Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha,Law 11/1965 of 2 ...
and
Vizcaya Bridge
The Vizcaya Bridge (''Bizkaiko Zubia'' in Basque, ''Puente de Vizcaya'' in Spanish) is a transporter bridge that links the towns of Portugalete and Las Arenas (part of Getxo) in the Biscay province of Spain, crossing the mouth of the Nervion R ...
. ''Price (of a single Gizatrans card): 3€. Fares (for Metro Bilbao): 0,27€ (valid in all zones)''.
[El Gizatrans ofrecerá desde enero descuentos de hasta el 50% a familias numerosas. El Correo]
/ref>
*Hirukotrans (big families). Personal and cannot be transferred. To obtain one is needed to have a Hirukotrans Card. Only available for big families.
Creditrans, Gizatrans and Hirukotrans will no longer be issued after 31 March 2013 as they have been replaced by the Barik electronic card. Any old Creditrans with a credit on them can be used until the end of 2013.
Schedules and frequencies
The Metro network works from 6:00 am until 11:00 pm from Monday to Thursday, and until 2:00 am on Friday and days before festive days. There is an all night service from Saturday to Sunday, with trains each 15 minutes on the main lines and with a 30-minute frequency on the other lines. During June, July, August and September, the no-interruptions night service also works on Fridays. During " Bilbao's Great Week", there are special services every night.
During weekdays, there is a frequency of 2.5 minutes on Zone A, 5 minutes on Zone B.0, B.1 y B.2 and 18 minutes on Zone C during most of the day.
Ridership
In 2007 Metro Bilbao was used by almost 86 million people, being the third most used metro in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona. Since it serves directly about 680,000 people, each citizen travels about 126 times a year. Ridership increases steadily every year, there were dramatic increases in 1998 and 2002 due to enlargement of the network, ridership is expected to reach 100 million people per year once the network is completed.
Busiest stations in 2019
* Casco Viejo – 7,211,370
* Moyua – 6,401,254
* Indautxu – 6,279,735
* San Mames – 6,215,224
* Abando – 6,202,976
* Santutxu – 4,452,957
* Deustu – 4,171,359
* Barakaldo – 3,580,409
* Gurutzeta/Cruces – 3,519,419
* Areeta – 3,445,833
Design
Access to the metro is provided by 'fosteritos', glass structures affectionately named after the architect who designed them, Norman Foster
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
. These modern-looking tunnels stand attractive alongside the modern and innovative interior of the stations.
Large caverns of a 160m2 cross section were dug for stations, creating large open spaces, as opposed to the traditional sets of linked tunnels. For example, the ticket line is in the same space as the trains, for this purpose steel structures called 'mezzanines' have been built over the tracks. Trains are fully accessible by lifts and escalators. Materials such as steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
and concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...
have been used throughout.
Sarriko station won the 1998 Brunel Award
The ''Brunel Awards'' are given to railway companies, to encourage outstanding visual design in railway architecture, graphics, industrial design and art, technical infrastructure and environmental integration, and rolling stock. The name is ass ...
for Railway Design. It is noticeably different from the rest of the stations in the network: in place of the standard 'fosterito
''Fosterito'' () is the name of a kind of awning which covers many entrances to stations in the Bilbao metro. These awnings are made with glass and steel. They are named after Norman Foster, who designed the architecture for the stations of the ...
', a vast glazed atrium pours natural light into the entire station, and the long, unbroken escalator ride to the ticket hall from street level gives a dramatic sense of character to the station.
Away from the main structures, the design company Akaba created the seating systems for the Metro, which subsequently won the Spanish National Industrial Design Prize from the Ministry of Science and Technology in November 2000. A distinctive signage system was created by Otl Aicher
Otto "Otl" Aicher (; 13 May 1922 – 1 September 1991) was a German graphic designer and typographer. Aicher co-founded and taught at the influential Ulm School of Design. He is known for having led the design team of the 1972 Summer Olympics ...
, which are responsible for the eye-catching masts bearing the Metro logo
A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordma ...
. The principal colours used are of white lettering on a red background for key information and black lettering for secondary details.
Rolling stock
Lines 1 and 2
Metro Bilbao uses 500, 550
__NOTOC__
Year 550 ( DL) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 550 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...
and 600 series trains, built by CAF. The company uses 24 trains of the first series, 13 of the second and 9 of the third. All vehicles are maintained and parked in Sopelana
Sopela, formerly known as Sopelana, is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.
The town is roughly 820 hectares in size, located in the comarca Mungialdea on the ...
and Ariz
TRIZ (; russian: теория решения изобретательских задач, ', lit. "theory of inventive problem solving") is “the next evolutionary step in creating an organized and systematic approach to problem solving. The deve ...
.
The first 16 vehicles, which carry the numbers UT 501 to 516, were delivered by CAF and ABB
ABB Ltd. is a Swedish- Swiss multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland. The company was formed in 1988 when Sweden's Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA) and Switzerland's Brown, Boveri & Cie merged to crea ...
in November 1995. Inside each car 2+2 seats are arranged respectively vis-à-vis in the colors of the Corporate design – red and grey. A set of 4 cars is long, high and wide. This is especially wide for a train that uses narrow gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
, for example vehicles of the large profile Berlin U-Bahn
The Berlin U-Bahn (; short for , "underground railway") is a rapid transit system in Berlin, the capital and largest city of Germany, and a major part of the city's public transport system. Together with the S-Bahn, a network of suburban train li ...
are only wide, and they use the normal gauge of .
The metro, like the commuter railroads in the region, is electrified at via overhead catenary
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as:
* Overhead catenary
* Overhead contact system (OCS)
* Overhead equipmen ...
. Each train has sixteen 180 kilowatt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...
motors; together that yields 2880 kilowatts per train unit. The maximum speed is 80 kilometers per hour. A train can carry 712 people, with 144 seated and 568 standing (based upon six passengers standing per square meter).
The number of trains was increased after a renewed order in 1996, to a total of 24 trains with the numbers UT 517 until 524. For the newly constructed line 2, thirteen new trains were ordered from CAF and Adtranz (now parent company of ABB). These new series UT-550 trains were delivered in October 2001. This series offers improvements in energy efficiency and to the air-conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
systems. These trains are able to climb the deep line 2 tunnel under the river.
Since 1998 automatic train protection
Automatic train protection (ATP) is a type of train protection system which continually checks that the speed of a train is compatible with the permitted speed allowed by signalling, including automatic stop at certain signal aspects. If it is ...
, and automatic train operation are used. The latter implies that the train drivers must press solely a button, and the remainder of the train operation is done through the computer. This is to be seen as an initial stage for an entirely computer-controlled system.
Line 3
The line shares rolling stock with the rest of the Euskotren Trena
Euskotren Trena, formerly known just as ''Euskotren'' is a commuter, inter-city and urban transit train-operating company that operates local and inter-city passenger services in the provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, S ...
network. Currently, 900
__NOTOC__
Year 900 ( CM) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Abbasid Caliphate
* Spring – Forces under the Transoxianian emir Isma'il ibn Ahmad are ...
and 950 series trains are used.
See also
* Barcelona Metro
The Barcelona Metro (Catalan and Spanish: ) is an extensive network of rapid transit electrified railway lines that run mostly underground in central Barcelona and into the city's suburbs. It is part of the larger public transport sys ...
* Madrid Metro
The Madrid Metro (Spanish: ''Metro de Madrid'') is a rapid transit system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the 14th longest rapid transit system in the world, with a total length of 293 km (182 mi). Its gro ...
* Metrovalencia
* List of metro systems
This list of metro systems includes electrified rapid transit train systems worldwide. In some parts of the world, metro systems are referred to as subways, U-Bahn or undergrounds. , 205 cities in 61 countries have a metro system.
The London ...
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{Metro Bilbao navbox, line1=yes, line2=yes, line3=yes
Bilbao metro
Rapid transit in Spain
Metre gauge railways in Spain
1995 establishments in Spain
1500 V DC railway electrification
Underground rapid transit in Spain
Estuary of Bilbao