Euskotren Tranbia is the brand under which 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 ...
way networks in the cities of
Vitoria-Gasteiz
es, vitoriano, vitoriana,
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, blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s)
, blank_info_sec1 = Spanish, Basque
, timezone = CET
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, timezone_DST ...
and
Bilbao
)
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, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
(both in the
Basque Country
Basque Country may refer to:
* Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map)
* French Basque Country o ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
) are run. The system in Bilbao started operations in 2002, and the one in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2008. It is one of the four commercial divisions under which
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 ...
(a public company managed by the
Basque Government) operates. The infrastructure is owned by the public entity
Euskal Trenbide Sarea
Euskal Trenbide Sarea (, es, Red Ferroviaria Vasca), commonly known by its acronym ETS, is a railway infrastructure manager operating in the Basque Country, Spain. The company was formed in 2004, but the railway infrastructure it operates was t ...
(Basque Railway Network) and tracks use
narrow gauge.
Services
Euskotren Tranbia operates tram networks in
Vitoria-Gasteiz
es, vitoriano, vitoriana,
, population_density_km2 = auto
, blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s)
, blank_info_sec1 = Spanish, Basque
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
(province of
Álava
Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Álava, former medieval Catholic bishopric and now Latin titular see.
Its ca ...
) and
Bilbao
)
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize = 275 px
, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
(province 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 first network, then named ''EuskoTran'' started operations in
Bilbao
)
, motto =
, image_map =
, mapsize = 275 px
, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
in 2002 after two years under construction, connecting
Bilbao-Atxuri Station with Uribitarte.
The line was eventually expanded to the
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao,
Basurto Hospital
and finally La Casilla.
The tramway system in
Vitoria-Gasteiz
es, vitoriano, vitoriana,
, population_density_km2 = auto
, blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s)
, blank_info_sec1 = Spanish, Basque
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
opened in 2008 and has a Y-shaped network, with two different lines that cross the city from south to north.
Trams run on the street (shared with other traffic or on dedicated tracks) and on grass tracks. It also shares dedicated lanes with the local bus services,
TUVISA
TUVISA (; short for ) is the municipal company responsible for urban transport in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the north of Spain. As of March 2022, the company operates 97 buses.
History
On 30 October 2009, the whole network was reorgani ...
in Vitoria-Gasteiz and
Bilbobus in Bilbao.
Stop design
The two tram systems have their own, distinguishable stops, some of them shared with bus systems and with low platforms. The stops of
Atxuri
Atxuri is a neighborhood of Bilbao. It was originally a suburb south of the old walled town. Modernly it stands between this neighborhood and those of Solokoetxe, Santutxu and the estuary of Bilbao. Administratively, it belongs to the 5th distr ...
, Ribera and Abando, all of them in Bilbao, do not have a dedicated platform, they use the sidewalk. Except for Atxuri, all stops are unstaffed and rely on automated ticket machines. All the stations have displays and screens with the network map, the current time and temperature and the frequencies. Due to the low platforms, the access between them involves crossing the tracks by pedestrian level crossing. They are virtually level with the doors and are all wider than . This allows wheelchairs, prams, pushchairs and the elderly to board the tram easily with no steps. In street sections, the pavement is integrated with the tram stop. The system in Bilbao has 14 stops, while the one in Vitoria has 23.
Systems
Bilbao
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Fares and ticketing
The two systems use both regular paper tickets and smartcards (
BAT
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
,
Barik and
Mugi
In cryptography, MUGI is a pseudorandom number generator (PRNG) designed for use as a stream cipher. It was among the cryptographic techniques recommended for Japanese government use by CRYPTREC in 2003, however, has been dropped to "candidate" ...
). There are single, daily and monthly tickets available. In both networks, ticket pricing is not based on zone-based rules, as there's a unique fare for the whole of each network.
Rolling stock
Euskotren Tranbia operates a fleet of 26
CAF Urbos trams, distributed between both networks.
Current fleet
The 400 series consists of 8 vehicles (numbered 401-408),
built for the Bilbao network. The trams are long, have 70% low floor access and are made up of three cars. Each tram can carry 196 passengers. They are the only CAF Urbos 1 trams to have been built.
The 500 series consists of 11 vehicles (numbered 501-511), originally built for the Vitoria-Gasteiz network. The trams are long, have 100% low floor access and are made up of five cars. Each tram can carry 261 passengers.
Due to the introduction of the larger 600 series in Vitoria-Gasteiz, three vehicles will be transferred to Bilbao.
The 600 series consists of 7 vehicles
(numbered 601-607), built for the Vitoria-Gasteiz network. The trams are long, have 100% low floor access and are made up of seven cars. Each tram can carry 398 passengers.
Livery
The trams were originally painted in grey and green stripes, the colours of ''Euskotren Tranbia''. The current livery is white and green.
Planned developments
Bilbao
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Shelved projects
Barakaldo tram
There were plans to create a tram network in the municipality of
Barakaldo, in the
Greater Bilbao area, which would have started in Urbinaga (where it would have been connected to the Leioa tram) and from there create a circular line around the city center. The project included fifteen stops within Barakaldo plus two in
Sestao, where it would connect with the Leioa line. Even if this project hasn't been officially canceled, no progress has been made since 2010.
Leioa tram
The construction of a tramway for the municipality of
Leioa, in the
Greater Bilbao area had two phases. The first phase consisted in the construction of the depot and offices. The second phase would have involved the line itself including the rail track and stops from the
University of the Basque Country campus to downtown Leioa. It would have included nine stops. A third phase would have made the tramway cross 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 insta ...
and connect Leioa with the
Left Bank with two extra stations.
Only the first phase (the depot and offices) has been built. After being postponed several times, the project was shelved in 2018.
See also
*
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 ...
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Euskotren Tranbia
Euskotren
Tram transport in Spain
Rail transport in the Basque Country (autonomous community)
Transport in Bilbao
Metre gauge railways in Spain
Spanish brands