Euskotren Trena

Euskotren Trena
Logotype of Euskotren Trena
Overview
Owner Eusko Trenbideak
Locale Biscay, Gipuzkoa (Basque Country)
Transit type Commuter rail
Inter-city rail
Number of lines 8
Number of stations 69
Headquarters 8, Atxuri Street, Bilbao, Biscay
Website Eskotren Trena
Operation
Began operation 1982
Operator(s) Eusko Trenbideak
Technical
System length 181.1 km (112.5 mi)[1]
Track gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 38 in)

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, Spain. It is one of the four commercial brands under which Basque Railways operates, as a public company managed by the Basque Government. The entire 181.1-kilometre (112.5 mi) network[1] uses 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 38 in) narrow gauge rail tracks which are owned by the Basque Government since their transference from the Spanish government; the rail tracks and stations were part of the Feve network until its transference. Euskotren Trena also operates the Donostia/San Sebastián metro under the brand Metro Donostialdea.

Euskotren Trena operates the railway services and networks, while Euskotren Tranbia operates the tram networks, Euskotren Autobusa the bus services and Euskotren Kargo the freight rail services. Since 2006 Euskotren Trena is the commercial brand for the operator of the railway network in the Basque Country, which is Eusko Trenbideak, while the network itself is owned by the public entity Euskal Trenbide Sarea. In 2012 the commercial brand was changed from simply Euskotren to Euskotren Trena, with the word trena being Basque for "train".

Services

Introduction

Euskotren Trena unit at Amara station, Donostia-San Sebastián.

Euskotren Trena operates the railway network owned by Euskal Trenbide Sarea (Basque Railway Network) in the Basque provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, as well as a small track and a station in Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of France. The initial network was a continuation of the Feve (narrow gauge railways) regional services and FTS (Bilbao's metropolitan railways and transportation) urban services. The services have since then improved to become a commuter rail system along with Inter-city rail services. The network connects the city of Bilbao with municipalities across the Greater Bilbao area and the province of Biscay, as Durango, Bermeo and Lezama. In the province of Gipuzkoa it connects the city of Donostia-San Sebastián with other cities and towns as Zarautz, Lasarte-Oria, Irun and Hendaye, the latter one in France. The Inter-city rail services connect the cities of Bilbao and San Sebastián with each other and with Hendaye. Since August 2012, Euskotren Trena operates the Donostia/San Sebastián metro system, based on the Topo network, under the brand Metro Donostialdea.[2]

Euskotren Trena is operated by Eusko Trenbideak.

Lines

Map of the network (includes the Euskotren Tranbia lines).

The Euskotren Trena network consists of the following lines:

The network interchanges with the Euskotren Tranbia line, Metro Bilbao, Feve, Renfe and Cercanías services. The Euskotren trena lines do not appear with the rest of lines in standard printed network maps, but separate maps are available. The Euskotren Trena lines appear along the rest railways networks of the Basque Country in the service Moveuskadi.com, offered by the Basque Government.

Former or closed lines

Service frequencies

Lugaritz station

As of January 2014, typical services frequencies for weekdays are:[3]

Stations

The Euskotren Trena network serves the following stations (the Bilbao-Donostia line stations are included in the sections of Durangaldea and Kostaldea):

Durangaldea line Kostaldea line Tranbia line Metro Donostialdea line Urdaibai line
  • Bilbao-Atxuri
  • Bolueta
  • Etxebarri
  • Ariz
  • Zuhatzu-Galdakao
  • Usansolo
  • Bedia
  • Lemoa
  • Amorebieta
  • Euba
  • Durango
  • Traña-Abadiño
  • Berriz
  • Zaldibar
  • Ermua
  • Ermua
  • Ardantza
  • Eibar
  • Toletxegain
  • Altzola
  • Mendaro
  • Deba
  • Arroa
  • Zumaia
  • Zarautz
  • San Pelaio
  • Aia-Orio
  • Usurbil
  • Errekalde
  • Añorga
  • Lugaritz
  • Donostia-Amara
  • Ermua
  • Errotabarri
  • San Lorentzo
  • Unibertsitatea
  • Amaña
  • Ardantza
  • Eibar
  • Azitain
  • Lasarte-Oria
  • Errekalde
  • Añorga
  • Lugaritz
  • Donostia-Amara
  • Anoeta
  • Loiola
  • Intxaurrondo
  • Herrera
  • Pasaia
  • Galtzaraborda
  • Errenteria
  • Fanderia
  • Oiartzun
  • Gaintxurizketa
  • Irun-Bentak
  • Belaskoenea
  • Irun
  • Irun-Ficoba
  • Hendaia
  • Bilbao-Atxuri
  • Bolueta
  • Etxebarri
  • Ariz
  • Zuhatzu-Galdakao
  • Usansolo
  • Bedia
  • Lemoa
  • Amorebieta Geralekua
  • Zugastieta
  • Muxika
  • Lurgorri
  • Gernika
  • Institutoa
  • Forua
  • Busturia-San Kristobal
  • Busturia-Axpe
  • Busturia-Itsasbegi
  • Mundaka
  • Bermeo
Txorierri line
  • Casco Viejo
  • Loruri-Ciudad Jardín
  • Ola
  • Sondika
  • Larrondo
  • Elotxalerri
  • Derio
  • Lekunbiz
  • Zamudio
  • Kurtzea
  • Lezama

Current operations

Eusko Trenbideak, who operates the Euskotren Trena brand has its central offices in the Bilbao-Atxuri Station, in the district of Ibaiondo, in Bilbao. There are operations centres in several stations, including those of Durango and Donostia-San Sebastián. Currently, the rolling stock is maintained at depots in Abadiño, Gernika and Errenteria. New depots are being built in Irun.

Ticketing

Euskotren Trena uses both regular paper tickets and the Creditrans travel ticket, available only on some lines. Users can acquire single tickets and return tickets at the vending machines available at every station, monthly and yearly travel cards are also available. Young people and elder people also may acquire special tickets.[4] The Creditrans travel ticket is only available in the Txorierri line, and cannot be used on any other line of the network. The Barik electronic card will be available in all lines once it is implemented.

The ticket pricing is based on zone-based rules.

Rolling stock

Euskotren Trena counts with several trains from four different series, named UT200, UT300, UT3500 and the newest UT900, all of them produced by CAF. As the whole network is electrified, all the units are electric. The oldest are the trains from the UT3500 series, which started operations in the 1970s as a replacement for the old trains, in very bad state, of the Ferrocarriles Vascongados. The UT900 series use state-of-the-art technology and started operations in 2011.

Current fleet

Class Image Type Top speed (km/h) Cars per set Routes operated Built Notes
UT-900 Electric multiple unit 100 4 Metro Donostialdea
Durangaldea line
2011–present New units started operating in Topo's line. Set to replace UT3500. At the moment there are 26 units that operate in all the lines
UT-300 Electric multiple unit 90 2 Txorierri line
Bilbao-Donostia inter-city line (express service)
1990 Operate in Txorierri's line, red-coloured units in Bilbao-Donostia's line.
UT-200 Electric multiple unit 80 4 Bilbao-Donostia inter-city line
Topo line
Urdaibai line
Kostaldea line
1985 Operate in Durangaldea's line, Kostaldea's line, Urdaibai's line and The Tram between Eibar and Ermua

Past fleet

Class Image Type Top speed (km/h) Cars per set Routes operated Built Notes
UT-3100 Electric multiple unit 75 3 Bilbao-Donostia line 1988
UT-3150 Electric multiple unit 70 1 Tranbia Ermua-Eibar 1989–1990 Transformation of the MCD series.
UT-3500 Electric multiple unit 80 3 Durangaldea line
Tranbia Ermua-Eibar
Urdaibai line
1977 Replaced by the UT900 series, their last service was the 6th of July in 2013.

Livery

Previous Euskotren logo (still seen in stations and trains).

The new rolling stock (UT-900) is painted with the new Euskotren Trena livery, they are of white colour with black contrasts and blue and orange circles in the doors. Older rolling stock maintains the blue and white colours, usual in Euskotren since 2002.

Current developments

The developments of the network operated by Eusko Trenbideak, under the commercial brand of Euskotren Trena, are being conducted by Euskal Trenbide Sarea, who has the competences over the Basque railway network. The developments do not include any expansion of the lines or new lines, something not yet proposed or planned, but the improvements of the current network, with new stations, alternate routes and a second rail track in areas where there is only one, as well as the elimination, or at least reduction, of all the level crossings.

See also

References

External links

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