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Metro Bilbao is a Metro system serving the northern Spanish city of Bilbao and its metropolitan area ( Gran Bilbao ). It has a Metre Gauge . HISTORY The contract for the ''underground metro system in Bilbao '', Spain was awarded to architects Sir Norman Foster and partners in 1988 following an open competition as metro was decided to be the best method to improve congestion problems in the evolving and regenerating city. The first part of Line One opened on 11 November 1995 , with 23 stations between Casco Viejo and Plentzia. The out-of-Bilbao tracks were previously part of ''Eusko Trenbideak / Ferrocarriles Vascos'' ( EuskoTren ) and earlier of FEVE . By July 5 1997 , the total number of stations reached 27 as Santutxu, Basarrate and Bolueta joined Gobela opened the previous year. The first line, operating to the north of the River Nervión was later to be added to with a Second Line , operating to the south. Splitting from the original line at San Inazio, it currently runs to Sestao with construction further to the west currently underway. The original five stations (Gurutzeta-Cruces, Ansio, Barakaldo, Bagatza and Urbinaga) were opened on 13 April 2002 . The furthest eastern point is now Etxebarri station, opened along with Sestao on 8 January 2005 . Two new stations in Portugalete will be opened by December 2006. Line two competes with the lucrative pre-existing Renfe line from Bilbao to Santurtzi . Metro Bilbao is used by more than 77 million people every year. Since it serves about 630,000, each citizen travels about 120 times a year. That is one of the highest rates of usage in Europe. DESIGN Bilbao is beginning to win a reputation internationally as a contemporary and avantgarde city, thanks to much of the original, exciting and different design work and construction currently underway there. Access to the metro is provided by 'fosteritos', Glass structures affectionately named after the architect. 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. Sarriko station won the 1998 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. LINES Metro Bilbao consists of the following lines: (see also Metro Bilbao Stations )
NETWORK MAP EXTERNAL LINKS SEE ALSO |
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