EuskoTran 403 at the Nervion River Bridge (bet. Arriage and Abando). Photo by Thierry Leleu, November 2009.

Overview

Bilbao is Spain's sixth-largest city, the industrial hub of northern Spain, and the capital for the Basque Country. With the highest population of Basque Country cities, there are over a million residents in the suburban area. The new Guggenheim Museum, opened in 1997, is spearheading a revitalization of the city along with a new tram line and Metro system.

EuskoTran

The EuskoTran ("Basque Tram") was proposed in 1998 after the opening of the Guggenheim Museum on the Nervión River waterfront. The chosen route connects two rail stations, and along the way passes the Guggenheim museum and an exposition center. Construction began in 1999 and the line opened near the end of 2002. The meter-gauge line is approximately 5 km long, with approximately 2 km of single track east of Pío Baroja to the eastern terminus at Atxuri railway station. Rolling stock, built by the Basque region's own C.A.F., consists of eight 24m long low-floor trams, with capacity for 192 passengers each, built at a total cost of EUR 18 million. The trams are numbered 401 to 408. The depot is located east of Atxuri station. Tram stops/locations pictured: Abando, Pío Baroja, Uribitarte, Guggenheim.

Metro

Planning for a Bilbao metro line goes back 75 years, with construction on line 1 finally beginning in 1988, extending an existing meter-gauge railway line into a subway tunnel under downtown. Service began on the initial segment in 1995, with extensions since opened and more under construction.

Line 1 between Casco Viejo and Plencia was opened November 11, 1995, with 23 stations. A new station opened in Gobela in June 1996. The line was extended to Bolueta in July 1997 (with new stations in Santutxu and Basarrate). A new station opened in Etxebarri in 2005.

Line 2's first section was opened in April 2002 with stations in Gurutzeta-Cruces, Ansio, Baracaldo, Bagatza and Urbinaga. A new station was opened in Sestao in 2005. Line 2's new link to Portugalete is under construction. It will reach Santurce in 2008, and Kabiezes in 2010.

A line 3 is planned between Etxeberri and Casco Viejo, 5.7km in length, with new stations in San-Antonio, Otxarkoaga, Txurdinaga, Zurbaranbarri and Uribarri.

In 2005, total length of the network was 34.64km, with a total of 32 stations (17 underground).

The fleet: Trains 501 to 516 were built by CAF and ABB in 1995; 517 to 524 were built by CAF and ABB in 1996; 551 to 563 were built by CAF and ABB (for the opening of Line 2 in 2002?).

Photo Gallery

Five Random Images
Image 57748 (226k, 1000x670) Photo by: Jean-Pierre Vergez Location: Atxuri	Image 57762 (229k, 1000x670) Photo by: Jean-Pierre Vergez Location: Ribera	Image 59274 (286k, 1044x745) Photo by: Thierry Leleu Location: Guggenheim	Image 107291 (318k, 1044x705) Photo by: Thierry Leleu Location: Nervion River Bridge (bet. Arriage and Abando)	Image 107298 (320k, 1044x705) Photo by: Thierry Leleu Location: Ribera