Metro Bilbao

Metro Bilbao

Abando station has the usual design for cavern stations
Overview
Native name Metro de Bilbao
Bilboko metroa
Locale Greater Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
Transit type Rapid transit
Number of lines 2
Number of stations 40[1]
(24 subway, 16 surface)[1]
Daily ridership 175,342 (avg. weekday, 2009)
Operation
Began operation November 11, 1995
Operator(s) Biscay Transport Consortium (CTB)
Technical
System length 43.28 km (26.9 mi)[1]
No. of tracks 2 (mostly)
1 (Urduliz–Plentzia)
Track gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Electrification 1500 V overhead lines
System map

Basarrate Station (L1 and L2), with the characteristical "cavern" architecture that most stations have.
Sarriko Station (L1 and L2), designed with a cristal-made entrance.
Urbinaga Station (L2), curved, in an uphill and on a viaduct.

The Bilbao Metro (Spanish: Metro de Bilbao, Basque: Bilboko metroa), trademarked as Metro Bilbao, is a rapid transit (metro) system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Its lines have a "Y" shape, with two lines that transit both banks of the Nervión river and then combine to form one line that ends in the south of Bilbao. The network of Metro Bilbao is connected with Euskotren Tranbia (tram services), Cercanías (commuter rail services), Euskotren Trena (commuter rail services), FEVE (commuter rail services, regional and long-distance trains), the Renfe service (long-distance trains) and Bilbao's bus station Termibus. It uses a meter gauge.

As of 2013, the Metro operates on 43.28 kilometers (26.89 mi) of route, with 42 stations (26 of them underground, and 16 on the surface) with 80 accesses (not counting elevators).[1]

It is the third largest Metro company in Spain by number of passengers carried (87,133,034 in 2013) behind the Madrid Metro and the one in Barcelona.

On February 21, 2007, the Basque Government announced a project for the construction of a third metro line,[2] which in the future will be expanded to Bilbao Airport. Construction of the new line began in July 2008.

On January 25, 2008, the preliminary layout of lines four and five was published.[3] At the same time, the University of the Basque Country requested the construction of "Line 6" in order to connect Leioa (where the university is located) and Getxo with Asua Valley (where the airport is located) going through the university campus.[4]

Current network and connections

Lines

Line Terminals LengthStations in serviceTotal stationsOperator
Line 1 (Metro Bilbao)Metro de Bilbao L1.svg
 Etxebarri - Plentzia 28.83 kilometres (17.91 mi) 28 29 Metro Bilbao S.A.
Line 2 (Metro Bilbao)Metro de Bilbao L2.svg
 Basauri - Kabiezes 22.98 kilometres (14.28 mi) 25 25 Metro Bilbao S.A.
Mamariga (Metro Bilbao)Metro de Bilbao L2.svg
 Santurtzi - Mamariga 500 kilometres (310 mi) 2 2 Metro Bilbao S.A.
TOTAL 45.86 kilometres (28.50 mi)(*) 42(*) 43(*)

(*) The section between the stations of San Inazio and Etxebarri is the same for Lines 2 and 1 with 10.39 kilometres (6.46 mi) and twelve common stations being shared.

Current Metro network, including under construction stations.

Connections

Bolueta Station (L1 and L2) constructed on a bridge above the Nervion river.
Metro Bilbao signal in the Intermodal Station of San Mamés.

Besides this, most of the stations have connections with different bus lines. At the same time, Urbinaga Station was built with the intention of connecting lines C1 and C2 of Cercanías[5] and Ansio Station with a bus terminal.[6] However, these connection projects have not been finished as of 2011. Eventually the Urbinaga project was restarted in 2009.[7] That future intermodal station will also take advantage of the future Leioa-Urbinaga Tram.[8] Its construction was expected to start at the end of 2009.[9]

History

Precedents

1920 project
1985 alternative 1, almost identical to the final project.

The idea of building a metro system in the city of Bilbao is an old one. In the 1920s the city's council prepared a project to build a metro system in the neighbourhoods of Abando and San Francisco. Soon after, the economic crises and the Spanish Civil War put a definitive end to the project.

In 1971 the government of Biscay, the Bilbao City Council and the Commerce Bureau created a commission to evaluate the transportation needs of Greater Bilbao. In 1976, five years later, the Biscay Transport Consortium (CTB, see Creditrans) was created. In that same year two proposals were created to start a metro service in 1985, the first of them is almost identical to the current network.

A year later a project was created to build the metro, however lots of objections were raised against it and disagreements between different institutions put an end to it.

In 1985 the construction plans were altered and a new project was created. Finally in 1987 the Basque Government approved the plan to build and finance the Bilbao Metro.

Construction

A metro system was deemed to be the best way to improve congestion problems in the evolving and regenerating city. The contract for the underground metro system in Bilbao was awarded to the architects Sir Norman Foster and partners in 1988 following an open competition.

The same year the first underground station was opened in Erandio, on the existing Bilbao-Plentzia railway. In 1989 construction began in the city centre, where the main Moyúa square was closed to pedestrians until 1997. Construction was especially complicated in the neighbourhoods of Deusto and San Inazio, where the cut and cover tunnel excavation damaged some buildings, was very noisy, and caused severe traffic disruptions. This method of excavation contrasted with the tunnel-boring machines used elsewhere in the city.

Moyua station, view from the ticket line

Line 1

The first part of line 1 opened on November 11, 1995, with 23 stations between Casco Viejo and Plentzia. The tracks outside Bilbao were previously part of Eusko Trenbideak / Ferrocarriles Vascos (Euskotren Trena) and earlier of FEVE.

By July 5, 1997, the total number of stations was 27 as Santutxu, 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 April 13, 2002. The furthest eastern point is now Etxebarri station, opened along with Sestao on January 8, 2005. Line 2 was enlarged with two new stations in Portugalete that were opened on January 20, 2007 ( Abatxolo and Portugalete). The last two new stations joined to Metro system on July 4, 2009 in Santurtzi: Peñota and Santurtzi stations.

Future

Plan of the future complete network of Metro Bilbao.
LineTerminalsStatusLengthTotal number of stationsOperator
Line 1 Etxebarri / Plentzia Complete 31 km 29 Metro Bilbao S.A.
Line 2 Basauri / Kabiezes Complete 20 km 25 Metro Bilbao S.A.
Mamariga Shuttle Santurtzi / Mamariga Complete 500 m 2 Metro Bilbao S.A.
Line 3 Etxebarri-Norte / Matiko Under construction 5.9 km 7 Metro Bilbao S.A.
Airport Line Matiko / Aireportua Under construction 6.5 km 3 Euskotren Trena
Line 4 Matiko / Rekalde Under study 6 km 7 Metro Bilbao S.A.
Line 5 Etxebarri / Usansolo Under study 8.8 km 6 Metro Bilbao S.A.
TOTAL 68.3 km62

Extensions to Line 1

A new station in the municipality of Getxo 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.[10]

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.[11]

Extensions to common line (Lines 1 and 2)

Basauri's town hall, along with the neighbouring towns, requested the construction of another station in Basauri, in the neighborhood of Sarratu. That station would work as an interchange station for different means of transportation.[12] 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; FEVE (which only has cargo services in that location); and even with Line 5 of the metro.[13]

Line 3 construction

The definitive layout of Line 3 of Metro Bilbao has seven stations, in place of the six originally planned (Matiko Station was not included in the first layouts).[14] Following delays the new line it is now expected to begin operating in 2016,[15] following the commencement of works in the summer of 2009. It will cost 279 million euros, significantly more than the original 153 million euro budget.[15] and will transport 71,000 people according to Bilbao council. The new line will have a length of 5,885 metres and will have one station in Etxebarri: San Antonio Station, and six stations in Bilbao: Otxarkoaga, Txurdinaga, Zurbaranbarri, Casco Viejo, Uribarri and Matiko.[16]

In a second phase, the line will be expanded to Bilbao Airport, using a tunnel of double rail and with a length of 1,875 metres under Mount Artxanda.[17]

Criticism

The Line 3 project has been heavily criticized by the people of Bilbao and opposition political parties. The main reason was the marginality of the layout, as the line does not cross the river or reach the district of Rekalde, as it was expected at first, and between the stations of San Antonio and Matiko, the line runs parallel to Line 1 and Line 2, existing one connection station in Casco Viejo.

The fact that the operating company will be Euskotren Trena and not Metro Bilbao also raised criticism, as this company has lower quality standards and has less frequent interurban services. It is feared that the train traffic (from Euskotren Trena) coming from San Sebastián, Bermeo and Durango makes good quality service more difficult, as in the beginning there will be only two rail tracks in most of the route; those two rail tracks will have to deal with the metro services and the regional ones. However, Euskotren Trena has announced that the train frequency in Line 3 will be five minutes, the same as in the rest of the Metro lines.[18] It would then be a new part of Euskotren Trena in Bilbao, but with schedules and services more characteristic of rapid transit.

Line 4 project (Under study)

The preliminary layout of the future Line 4 (Moyúa/Rekalde) was presented on January 25, 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.[19]

The plan to add Rekalde to Line 3 was halted, and the route completely altered. This change was criticised, especially by people from Rekalde.[20] 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, 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 Station) and a new station in the University of Deusto campus (Unibersitatea), to then reach Matiko (Line 3).[21][22]

Line 5 project (Under study)

Also on January 25, 2008, the preliminary layout for Line 5 (Etxebarri/Usansolo) was presented. This new line would connect Etxebarri with Galdakao. 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.[23] Later, one more station was added, on the Bengoetxe neighbourhood on Galdakao.[24] The line will start being constructed in 2012 and is expected to be finished in 2016[25]

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.[26]

Lines and stations

Stations
L1 L2 L3 (under construction)
----
Basauri
Ariz
Etxebarri Etxebarri Etxebarri-North
Bolueta Bolueta Otxarkoaga
Basarrate Basarrate Txurdinaga
Santutxu Santutxu Zurbaranbarri
Casco Viejo Casco Viejo Casco Viejo
Abando Abando Uribarri
Moyua Moyua Matiko
Indautxu Indautxu
San Mames San Mames
Deusto Deusto
Sarriko Sarriko
San Inazio San Inazio
Lutxana Gurutzeta/Cruces
Erandio Ansio
Astrabudua Barakaldo
Leioa Bagatza
Lamiako Urbinaga
Areeta Sestao
Gobela Abatxolo
Neguri Portugalete
Aiboa Peñota
Algorta Santurtzi Santurtzi
Bidezabal Kabiezes Mamariga
Ibarbengoa-Getxo
Berango
Larrabasterra
Sopelana
Urduliz
Plentzia

(under construction)

(Under study)

(Under study)

Operation

Zones

The Metro Bilbao network is divided into the following fare zones:

Cards

Metro Bilbao offers special cards that are personal and cannot be transferred, with a time limit of 5 years since the date of issue.[27] They can be obtained at any of the customer service offices of Metro Bilbso (located in the stations of Ansio, Casco Viejo, San Inazio and Areeta).

Tickets and fares

Underground vending machine, where tickets can be acquired.

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):[28]

Metro Bilbao exclusive use

Combined tickets

Creditrans tickets

Creditrans.

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. On months of 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 are some 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 2007

Design

Station access and escalators

Access to the metro is provided by 'fosteritos', glass structures affectionately named after the architect who designed them, Norman Foster. 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 and concrete have been used throughout.

Bagatza station 'fosterito' and signaling

Sarriko station won the 1998 Brunel Award for Railway Design. It is noticeably different from the rest of the stations in the network: in place of the standard 'fosterito', 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, which are responsible for the eye-catching masts bearing the Metro logo. The principal colours used are of white lettering on a red background for key information and black lettering for secondary details.

Rolling stock

Metro units in Bolueta.

The Metro Bilbao uses train types of the series UT-500 and UT-550, built by CAF. The company uses 24 trains of the first series and thirteen of the second. All vehicles are maintained and parked in Sopelana and Ariz.

The first sixteen vehicles which carry the numbers UT 501 to 516 were delivered by CAF and ABB 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 four cars is altogether 72.12-metre (236.6 ft) long, 3.85-metre (12.6 ft) high and 2.80-metre (9.2 ft) wide. That's specially wide for a train that uses narrow gauge, for example vehicles of the large profile Berlin U-Bahn are only 2.65-metre (8.7 ft) wide, and they use the normal gauge of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in).

The trains use, like the commuter railroads in the region, the overhead tension of 1500 volts and possess altogether sixteen motors of respectively 180 kilowatts; together that yields 2880 kilowatts per train unit. The maximum speed is 80 kilometers per hour. A train can carry 712 people. This statement is based upon 144 seats and 568 standing on the average six persons 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 higher requirement in the newly constructed line 2, thirteen new trains were ordered to the firms CAF and Adtranz (now mother company of ABB) and they were delivered in October 2001. The last delivery contained now the new trains of the series UT-550. This series differs from its predecessor in a higher efficiency, needed to climb the deep line 2 tunnel under the river, and an improved air-conditioning.

Since 1998 automatic train protection, 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.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Metro in figures - Network features". Metro Bilbao S.A. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
  2. ↑ La Lнnea 3 del Metro se inaugurarб en 2011 y unirб Matiko con el Casco Viejo. elcorreodigital.com
  3. ↑ FICHA Nº 24
  4. ↑ La UPV pide la línea 6 del metro para unir Leioa con el Parque Tecnológico Deia
  5. ↑ http://www.metrobilbao.net/img/metroberri/MB_24.pdf
  6. ↑ Metro de Barakaldo :: Toda la Informacion sobre la Linea 2 de Metro en Barakaldo
  7. ↑ La complejidad de las obras obligará a levantar las vías de Renfe para construir la nueva estación Deia
  8. ↑ Estación Intermodal De Urbinaga - Metroo
  9. ↑ Sestao fundirá el tren, el metro y el tranvía de la UPV en la estación de Urbinaga. El Correo
  10. ↑ El parking disuasorio de Andra Mari se abrirá en 2012. El Correo
  11. ↑ Ortuella plantea un gran parking para llevar el metro a la localidad Deia
  12. ↑ Basauri elaborará un proyecto de estación intermodal para Sarratu Deia
  13. ↑ Lakua estudiará la creación de una estación intermodal para Basauri . Deia. Noticias de Bizkaia
  14. ↑ El metro añade una parada a la línea 3 e irá más rápido - 20minutos.es - El medio social
  15. 1 2
  16. ↑ http://www.bilbao.net/castella/ciudad/proyectos_bilbao/metro3_datostecnicos20080125.pdf
  17. ↑ Conexión Ferroviaria con el Aeropuerto de Bilbao | Bilbao en Construcción!
  18. ↑ La línea 3 del Metro entre Etxebarri y Matiko llegará en 2012 y tendrá 7 estaciones - 20minutos.es - El medio social
  19. ↑ Iñaki Azkuna: «El metro podría llegar a Rekalde desde Moyua». El Correo
  20. ↑ Bilbao - Los vecinos piden la Línea 3 hasta Rekalde - ADN.es
  21. ↑ La línea 4 del metro se prolongará hasta Deusto para conectar con el aeropuerto | País Vasco | elmundo.es
  22. ↑ El Gobierno estudia llevar el metro desde Rekalde hasta Abandoibarra. El Correo
  23. ↑ Se inician los estudios técnicos para construir las líneas 4 y 5 del metro a Usansolo y Rekalde Deia
  24. ↑ Entra en fase de estudio la Línea 5 del metro, que uniría Galdakao a la red actual. El Correo
  25. ↑ Lakua anuncia para 2016 la llegada de la Línea 5 del metro a Galdakao y Usansolo - GARA
  26. ↑ http://www.deia.com/es/impresa/2006/04/23/bizkaia/herrialdeak/241839.php
  27. ↑ Carnet
  28. ↑ Billetes y abonos
  29. ↑ http://www.cotrabi.com/pdfs/balance_creditrans_%202008.pdf
  30. ↑ El Gizatrans ofrecerá desde enero descuentos de hasta el 50% a familias numerosas. El Correo
Moyua station exit, fosterito view from behind.
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