The Abando Indalecio Prieto railway station ( eu, Abandoko Indalecio Prieto geltokia, es, Estación de Abando Indalecio Prieto), usually known simply as Bilbao-Abando and previously known as ''Estación del Norte'' (''North Station'') is a

terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together * Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output dev ...

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

, Basque Country (

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 ...

). The name comes from

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 ...

, the district in which the station is located, and

Indalecio Prieto Indalecio Prieto Tuero (30 April 1883 – 11 February 1962) was a Spanish politician, a minister and one of the leading figures of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in the years before and during the Second Spanish Republic. Early life ...

, who was

Minister of Public Works This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

during the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 ...

. The station serves as the terminus station for several long and medium distance services operated by Renfe as well as commuter rail services within the

Bilbao metropolitan area The Bilbao Metropolitan Area (in Basque: ''Bilbo Handia'', in Spanish: ''Área metropolitana de Bilbao'') is the metropolitan area or continuous urban area based around the city of Bilbao, in the Basque Country, Spain. It comprises the city of B ...

operated by

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 ...

. The station has direct access to

Metro Bilbao The Bilbao metro ( es, Metro de Bilbao, eu, Bilboko metroa) is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Lines 1 and 2 have a "Y" shape, as they transit both banks of the river Ibaizabal and then com ...

and to 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 ...

, as well as many local and regional bus lines. The railway station Bilbao-Concordia, operated by

Renfe 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 ...

is located in close proximity. After the construction of the high-speed line

Basque Y Basque Y is the high-speed rail network being built between the three cities of the Basque Autonomous Community, in Spain; Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Donostia-San Sebastián. Route It will transport cargo and passengers. The cargo trains ...

is finished, Bilbao-Abando will serve as the western terminus, which will involve the creation of a completely new station replacing the current one.

History

The first station was opened on 1 March 1863 with the opening of the Bilbao-Orduña railway line; at that time

was still an independent municipality and not part of Bilbao. That first line was intended to continue south to connect Bilbao with Castile after a railway junction in

Miranda de Ebro Miranda de Ebro (Spanish: iˈɾan̪da ðe ˈeβɾo is a city on the Ebro river in the province of Burgos in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is located in the north-eastern part of the province, on the border with the prov ...

, and it was eventually expanded to reach Castejón, near the city of Tudela. The company commissioned with the works of the new line was called ''Company of the Railway from Tudela to Bilbao'', led by Charles Blacker Vignoles, who gave it a clear English style. In 1865 the company filed for bankruptcy and was intervened by the Bank of Bilbao In 1878 it was transferred to the ''Company of the Railways of Northern Spain'', company that owned the line and stations until the nationalisation of the Spanish railways in 1941, when it was integrated into Renfe and renamed ''Bilbao Abando station''. Due to the poor situation of the station's building, Renfe commissioned the construction of a new station on its place, which finally opened in 1948. The station was affected by the 1983 floodings of Bilbao, after which it was partially renovated with the addition of escalators and sculptures by

Agustín Ibarrola Agustín Ibarrola (born 1930) is a Spanish Painting, painter and sculptor. He was born in Basauri, Biscay, Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. In 1948, the Delegation of Biscay and the city council of Bilba ...

. The building underwent several modifications and renovations in the following years, including the opening of a shopping mall and the creation of two extra rail tracks after the integration of the

Cercanías Bilbao Cercanías Bilbao (Basque: ''Bilboko Aldiriak'') is a commuter rail network in Bilbao, serving the city and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías, as part of Renfe, the national railway company. It consists of three lines, named C ...

commuter-rail services, which until then had the closed Bilbao-La Naja station as their terminus. In 2006 the station was renamed ''Abando Indalecio Prieto station'', after

, who was

during the

. The renaming caused controversy, although the change was not reflected on the service maps and the service announcement systems of the trains, which still use ''Bilbao-Abando''. In 2010 it was announced that the station would become the northwestern terminus of the

high-speed line and as such would need to go through extensive renovation works. In 2018 the Ministry of Development and the city hall of Bilbao jointly announced the project for the new Bilbao-Abando station, which would involve the construction of a completely new station with three underground levels, one for the high speed trains, another for the regional and Cercanías trains and a main hall. The station will be connected to a new bus station with 13 platforms as well as the existing metro station. The constructions works are expected to begin in 2020 and cost 730 million Euro, with railway services starting in 2023. The entire urbanisation project including infrastructure and housing could be finished around 2030.

Station layout

The Bilbao-Abando station has two separate main spaces. The main hall building is U-shaped and has five floors. It was built as part of the 1948 renovation using reinforced concrete combined with

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

and brick to provide the building with a monumental appearance. The second building is an annex to the main one and has a semi-circular shed with 12 arches. One of the most singular aspects of the station is the stained glass that overlooks the train platforms. It is composed of 301 pieces and it is 15 metres wide and 10 metres tall and it was made in 1948 by Jesús Arrechubieta following a sketch by Miguel Pastor Veiga. The glass depicts diverse activities typical of the

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 ...

an society, as well as emblematic places such as the

Basilica of Begoña The Basilica of Begoña (or Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Begoña in Spanish) is a basilica in Bilbao, in Spain, dedicated to the patron saint of Biscay, the Virgin Begoña. The current parish priest is Jesús Francisco de Garitaonandia. Histo ...

. The ground and first floors of the station hold restaurants, gift shops and other services while the third floor holds the rail tracks and platforms as well as other railway-related services.

Access

1 Gran Vía, Biribila Plaza * Aiga escalator up inv

Segismundo Moret Street * Aiga elevator inv

1 Gran Vía (''Gran Vía/Plaza Circular'' exit)

Railway services

The station has traditionally served long-distance and commuter-rail ''Cercanías'' services. The station has the peculiarity of not having any regional medium-distance services, something unusual for a terminus station located in a city of the size of Bilbao. This lack of services is compensated by the close proximity of Bilbao-Concordia and Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo stations, which offer local and regional services to the cities of

Santander Santander may refer to: Places * Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain * Santander Department, a department of Colombia * Santander State, former state of Colombia * Santander de Quilichao, a m ...

, León and San Sebastián.

Long distance services

The long-distance services concentrate all the non-local passenger services in the station. There are three main lines serving at the station. In addition, two former lines called at this station before shutting down:

Local services

Bilbao-Abando is the main hub of

, a commuter-rail network operated by

, which is part of Renfe. Cercanías offers rapid transit-like services between central Bilbao and other municipalities across its metropolitan area, with services similar to that of a metro network but with fewer stops.

Other services

Bilbao-Abando is located in close proximity of the Bilbao-Concordia railway station which is part of the

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 ...

network with local services to Balmaseda and

Karrantza Karrantza Harana/Valle de Carranza (in Basque ''Karrantza Harana'', in Spanish ''Valle de Carranza''), is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country. It is located in the comarca of Enkarterri and it is th ...

as well as regional services to

and León. Bilbao-Abando is connected directly to Bilbao-Concordia via a pedestrian access. The Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo station is located at around 600 metres from Bilbao-Abando. This station is operated by

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, ...

and from there trains run to Durango, Elgoibar and San Sebastián.

Rapid transit

Besides the long-distance and local services, Bilbao-Abando is also connected to the Abando metro station, which is served by lines 1 and 2 of the

Bilbao metro The Bilbao metro ( es, Metro de Bilbao, eu, Bilboko metroa) is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Lines 1 and 2 have a "Y" shape, as they transit both banks of the river Ibaizabal and then comb ...

. It is an underground station located outside of the Bilbao-Abando railway station, but nevertheless connected to it directly. It opened on 11 November 1995. It follows the typical cavern-shaped layout of most underground Metro Bilbao stations designed by

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 Nor ...

, with the main hall located directly above the rail tracks.

Tram

The Abando stop of 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 ...

, 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 ...

, is located on Navarra street at a distance of about 200 metres from the Bilbao-Abando station. The tram connects the district of

with

Ibaiondo Ibaiondo is the fifth district of the city of Bilbao (Biscay), in the Spanish Basque Country. ''Ibaiondo'' is a recently used name that means 'beside the river' in Basque. It is divided into the neighbourhoods of Atxuri, Bilbo Zarra, Casco Viej ...

and

Basurto-Zorroza Basurto-Zorroza (or Basurtu-Zorrotza) is the eighth district of the city of Bilbao (Biscay), in the Spanish Basque Country. It is divided into the neighbourhoods of Altamira, Basurto, Olabeaga, Masustegui-Monte Caramelo and Zorrotza. It is se ...

Bus

The station is served by the following local

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 ...

services. A 'G' in the line name denotes a Gautxori night line service. * 10 Elorrieta - Plaza Circular * A1 Asunción - Plaza Circular * A2 Solokoetxe - Plaza Circular * A5 Prim - Plaza Circular * G2 Otxarkoaga - Plaza Circular * G3 Larraskitu - Plaza Circular * G4 La Peña - Plaza Circular * G5 San Adrián / Miribilla - Plaza Circular * G6 Zorrotza - Plaza Circular * G7 Mina del Morro - Plaza Circular * G8 Arangoiti - Plaza Circular The station is also served by the following regional Bizkaibus services, running to other municipalities within the Bilbao metropolitan area or elsewhere in

. * A2314 Bilbao - Erandio Goikoa - UPV/EHU * A2322 Bilbao - Astrabudua - UPV/EHU * A2324 Bilbao - UPV/EHU (through Enekuri) * A3115 Bilbao - Santurtzi * A3122 Bilbao - Barakaldo - Sestao - Errepelega * A3136 Bilbao - Barakaldo - Santurtzi * A3144 Bilbao - Barakaldo (through Ugarte) * A3151 Bilbao - Stz. - Portugalete (A-8) * A3336 Muskiz - Bilbao (through Ortuella) * A3340 Muskiz - Abando - Bilbao (A-8) * A3514 Bilbao - Zornotza - Gernika * A3515 Bilbao - Zornotza - Gernika - Bermeo * A3521 Bilbao - Hosp. Sta. Marina * A3911 Durango - Lemoa - Galdakao-Usansolo Hospital - Bilbao * A3912 Eibar - Lemoa - Galdakao-Usansolo Hospital - Bilbao * A3917 Zeanuri - Lemoa - Galdakao-Usansolo Hospital - Bilbao * A3925 Ubide - Otxandio - Lemoa - Bilbao

References

External links

* {{Commons category-inline Railway stations opened in 1870 Buildings and structures in Bilbao Railway stations in Biscay Tram stops 1870 establishments in Spain