EuskoTran |
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EuskoTran in Bilbao, Spain on grassed track |
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| Overview | |
| Type | Light rail tramway |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Bilbao and Vitoria, Basque Country, Spain |
| Termini | Atxuri (Bilbao); Abetxuko; Ibaiondo (Vitoria) Basurto (Bilbao); Angulema (Vitoria) |
| Stations | Bilbao: 12 Vitoria: 18 |
| Website | www.euskotren.es/euskotran/ |
| Operation | |
| Opened | Bilbao: 2002 Vitoria: 2008 |
| Operator(s) | EuskoTran |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 18.5 kilometres (11.5 mi) (6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi) in Bilbao, 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) in Vitoria) |
| Track gauge | Metre gauge |
| Operating speed | 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) |
EuskoTran (Basque for: BasqueTram) is a light rail tram service which operates in the cities of Bilbao (Biscay), Vitoria (Álava) and, in the future, in the town of Leioa (Biscay), all of them in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak - Ferrocarriles Vascos. Like the rest of the services of Eusko Trenbideak, EuskoTren and EuskoKargo, EuskoTran uses metric gauge rail tracks. EuskoTren is a commuter rail service and EuskoKargo manages cargo services.
Currently, EuskoTran manages Bilbao's Tram and Vitoria's Tram.
Contents |
| Line | Official Name | Total length | Stations in service | Total number of stations | Municipality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atxuri / Basurto | Tranvia de Bilbao (Bilbao's Tram) | 4,87 km | 12 | 12 | Bilbao (Biscay) |
| Angulema / Ibaiondo | Tranvia de Vitoria (Vitoria's Tram) | 4,967 km | 12 | 12 | Vitoria (Álava) |
| Angulema / Abetxuko | Tranvia de Vitoria (Vitoria's Tram) | 4,868 km | 12 | 12 | Vitoria (Álava) |
| UPV / Leioa / Urbinaga (Being built) | Tranvia de Leioa (Leioa's Tram) | 3,862 km | - | 9 | Leioa and Erandio (Biscay) |
| UPV / Leioa / Urbinaga (In plans) | Tranvia de Leioa (Leioa's Tram) | 1,8 km | - | 2 | Leioa and Sestao (Biscay) |
| Urbinaga / Barakaldo (In plans) | Tranvía de Barakaldo (Barakaldo's Tram) | 10,7 km (aprox.) | - | 17 | Barakaldo and Sestao (Biscay) |
| Total | 23,682 km [note 1] | 30 [note 2] | 64 [note 2] |
EuskoTran in Bilbao was thought as an alternative service for the Metro Bilbao, the city's metro system. On May 27, 1999 the works for Line 1 started. Those works officially ended on December 18, 2002, when the first phase was completed and opened to public. The first phase was the first part of Line 1 and called "Atxuri-Uribitarte" and it had six stations. On April 30, 2003 the station "Guggenheim" was added. On July 24, 2003 four more stations became active ("Guggenheim-San Mamés). Finally, in 2004, the final station "Basurto" was opened.
Current fare for the tram service in Bilbao:
Bilbao's Tram is expected to be a circular line with divisions (Atxuri-Etxebarri, Euskalduna-Zorrotzuarte). In order to close the circle, the line will be expanded through the street of Autonomía until the Circular Square, where the Abando station is situated.
The tram is expected to reach Zorrotzaurre after 2010, crossing the Nervión river through the Euskalduna Bridge. The expanded line will have four new stations. After Zorrotzaurre, the tram would continue to Zorroza. However, due the change in the Basque Government, there has been doubts about the continuity of the project.[1]
Due the change of the terminal EuskoTren station from Atxuri to San Nicolás in 2012, the Atxuri station will only give service to EuskoTran. Then, the rail tracks that now EuskoTren is using to reach Bolueta and Etxebarri will be used for EuskoTran. It is currently unknown if the tram will just reach Etxebarri or also to the community of Ariz (Basauri).
Vitoria's Tram started on December 23, 2008, making a route from downtown to the neighborhood Ibaiondo with a frequency of 12 minutes at rush hour and 15 minutes the rest of the time. By December, 2008, 12 of 18 stations were open. On July 10, 2009 the second line was opened.
Main Line
Lakua Line
Abetxuko Line
The line in Leioa will have 11 stations and is divided into two phases. The first one, already in plans, will connect the campus of the University of the Basque Country (with two stations there) with Leioa's Metro station (Line 1). It is expected to have nine stations. This first phase is expected to start constructions in 2010. It is expected to be finished by 2012. The expected stations for this line are:
Meanwhile, the second phase will connect Leioa's metro (Line 1) station with Urbinaga metro station (Line 2). The expected stations for this second phase are:
Once the intermodal station of Urbinaga is finished, there will meet one line of Metro Bilbao (Line 2), two lines of EuskoTran (Leioa and Barakaldo) and two lines of Cercanías Bilbao (C-1 and C-2)
The line of EuskoTran in Barakaldo will connect Urbinaga with several neighborhoods of Barakaldo. Its line will be circular and will have 13 stations plus other 3 in Sestao. This is an effort to connect the tram of Sestao and Barakaldo with the one of Leioa, in order to connect those towns with the University of the Basque Country. The line is still in plans and could change its number of stations or the locations of those. The expected stations for this line are:
In Sestao:
In Barakaldo:
The current fleet of trams in Bilbao consists of 8 trams numbered from 401 to 408. The light rail vehicles were manufactured by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) in the Basque town of Beasain.[2] Each 25 m (82 ft) long tram can carry 192 people, 50 of them seated (about the capacity of three buses). Access to the trams is at platform level, making it easy for handicapped passengers to get on and off through the tram's eight doors. Speakers in the trams play music and announce each stop. All trams are equipped with climatization.
In Vitoria there are 10 trams numbered from 500 to 510. Vitoria's trams have a length of 31 meters and six doors at each side.
Many citizens if Bilbao initially considered the new system to be no more than a public-image exercise, since it was no cheaper to ride than the metro. Before the line became fully operational it was not unusual to see nearly empty trams. However, patronage has increased steadily with the enlarging of the line and the trams offer excellent sightseeing possibilities for visitors wanting to see "the new Bilbao".
In Vitoria, many residents initially opposed the project in 1995 and the network had to be preplanned in 2004 to cover more neighborhoods. After its inauguration, the Vitoria tram has become a successful means of transport in the city, although there are some safety concerns. [3]
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