Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos

Compañía de los Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos de Bilbao, S. A.^[1]
Company type	Publicly listed
Founded	20 June 1947
Defunct	3 December 1983
Successor	FEVE (1977); Euskotren (1982);
Headquarters	Bilbao, Biscay , Spain
Area served	Greater Bilbao

Last updated March 08, 2024

Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos ( Spanish for 'Suburban Railways and Transport'), commonly known by its acronym FTS, was a railway company in the Basque Country, Spain. Founded in 1947 as the merger of various railway companies, it operated several suburban rail lines in the Greater Bilbao area. FEVE took over its operations in 1972, which in 1982 were transferred to the new company Basque Railways.

History

FTS was founded in 1947 with the merger of two independent railways and two lines operated by another company:^[2]

Lutxana–Mungia railway, an independent company.
Bilbao–Lezama railway, an independent company.
Bilbao–Las Arenas–Plentzia railway and the Matico–Azbarren branch, operated by the Bilbao–Santander Railway Company.

Aside from the railways, FTS also operated several tram and bus lines. The Bilbao–Plentzia line had been electrified since the 1920s, and shortly after the establishment of the new company the remaining non-electrified lines were electrified too.^[3]

The rolling stock was renovated starting in the 1950s, but by the 1960s the company was in financial difficulties. Rather than due to low ridership, they were caused by the artificially low fares imposed by the government, which didn't subsidize the company. In 1969, a landslide forced the closure of the Matico–Azbarren line and the relocation of the Bilbao–Lezama terminus out of central Bilbao.^[4] In 1975, due to the lengthening of the airport runway, most of the Lutxana–Mungia line had to close too.^[5] On 30 December 1977, FEVE took over the operations of the network.^[4]

Despite ceasing operations in 1977, the company wasn't immediately disbanded. In May 1983, after all the legal difficulties it faced were solved, the board of directors proposed the dissolution of the company, which happened in December that year.^[6]

Rolling stock

After the merger, the new company inherited the rolling stock owned by its predecessors. The steam locomotives inherited from the Bilbao–Lezama and Lutxana–Mungia railways were retired soon after the merger, as since 1950 the whole FTS network was electrified.

Electric rolling stock

Class	Type	In service	Number	Notes
MAB 1–12 (Carde y Escoriaza)	Railcar	1927–2011	12	A series of twelve railcars acquired at the time of the electrification of the Bilbao-Plentzia line. One of last trains of the series was retired from passenger service in 1986, and was used for auxiliary services until 1995.^[7] One unit was operated by Metro Bilbao as service train until its scrapping in 2011.^[8]
MAB 13–15 (Carde y Escoriaza)	Railcar	1930–2012	3	Three railcars intended for freight transport, built in 1930 and originally numbered MD 1–3. They were reformed in the 1950s into passenger trains with new metal car bodies.^[9] The last one was retired from passenger service in 1995, and was used for auxiliary services until 2012.^[10]
MB 100 series	EMU	1965–1998	8	These EMUs were originally built between 1965 and 1975. They were refurbished between 1988 and 1991, becoming the Euskotren 3100 series.^[11] They were withdrawn from service in 1998.^[12]
MD 1–3 (Alsthom)	Railcar	1949–1970s	3	A total of seven railcars were built in 1930 by Alsthom for the Toulouse–Castres railway [ fr ], which closed in 1939. Four of them were acquired by Ferrocarriles Vascongados, and the remaining three by Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos.^[13] After their arrival to FTS, they were refurbished with the wooden body cars of the original MD trains, and subsequently took over their numbering. The Alsthom railcars were used for freight services between Bilbao and Plentzia until the 1970s.^[14]
TU series	EMU	1954–2011	10	A series of ten two-car EMUs (a third car was added later). Retired in the early 1990s,^[15] one of them remained in the Bilbao metro depot in Sopela until 2011, when it was scrapped.^[16]^[8]

Related Research Articles

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Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo – Zazpikaleak and Casco Viejo – is a railway station in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the historical neighborhood of Casco Viejo, in the district of Ibaiondo. It links the Bilbao metro rapid transit services with the Euskotren Trena commuter rail network. It is the main railway hub for trips between the metropolitan underground network and the railway services to Eibar, Gernika, Bermeo and San Sebastián as well as the Txorierri valley. The original metro station opened on 11 November 1995, and on 8 April 2017 in its current form.

Lutxana is a station of line 1 of Metro Bilbao, also served by the Lutxana-Sondika shuttle operated by Euskotren Trena. It is located in the neighbourhood of Lutxana-Enekuri, in the municipality of Erandio. In its current inception, the station was opened on 11 November 1995. Since 2015, the station has also been served by Euskotren Trena suburban trains.

Matiko is the northern terminus of line 3 of the Bilbao metro. The station is also served by Euskotren Trena commuter and regional rail services. The station is located in the neighbourhood of Matiko-Ciudad Jardín, part of the Uribarri district of Bilbao. In its current form, the station opened on 8 April 2017.

The Euskotren 300 series is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by Euskotren in the Basque Country, Spain from 1990 to 2018.

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Sondika is a railway station in Sondika, Basque Country, Spain. It is owned by Euskal Trenbide Sarea and operated by Euskotren. It lies on the Txorierri line.

Lezama is a railway station in Lezama, Basque Country, Spain. It is owned by Euskal Trenbide Sarea and operated by Euskotren. It lies on the Txorierri line.

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The Lutxana–Sondika line is a single-track branchline in Biscay, Basque Country, Spain. Owned by Euskal Trenbide Sarea, it runs from Lutxana to Sondika, connecting line 1 of the Bilbao metro with the Txorierri line. It is a remnant of the former Lutxana–Mungia line, which was partially closed in May 1975.

Metro Bilbao is the company that runs lines 1 and 2 of the Bilbao metro. It is owned by the Biscay Transport Consortium, itself dependent on the Basque Government and the Foral Deputation of Biscay. The ownership of the metro infrastructure is shared by the Biscay Transport Consortium and Euskal Trenbide Sarea.

The ASEA electric locomotive was an electric locomotive type originally operated by Ferrocarriles Vascongados in the Basque Country, Spain. When that company was absorbed by FEVE, it came to be known as the FEVE 4100 series. It was later operated by Euskotren.

Euskotren is a public railway operator in the Basque Country, Spain. Its rolling stock is formed by electrical multiple units used for Euskotren Trena commuter rail services, trams running on the Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz tramway networks, and locomotives for hauling freight trains.

Ferrocarriles Vascongados was a railway company in the Basque Country, Spain; founded in 1906 as the merger of three railway companies. It operated the Bilbao-San Sebastián line, as well as the Elorrio branch and the Deba railway. FEVE took over its operations in 1972, which in 1982 were transferred to the new company Basque Railways. Ferrocarriles Vascongados was dissolved in 1995, after more than two decades without activity.

The long Ganz railcar is a railcar train type formerly operated by Ferrocarriles Vascongados in the Basque Country, Spain from 1928 to 1981.

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The 130T was a steam locomotive type originally operated by Ferrocarriles Vascongados in the Basque Country, Spain. One of the locomotives, named Aurrera, has been preserved at the Basque Railway Museum and is used regularly to haul heritage trains.

The FEVE 3500 series is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by Renfe Feve in Spain. The first units entered service in the Basque Country in 1977, these trains were later transferred to Euskotren, where they were known as the Euskotren 3500 series. Euskotren retired its last 3500 trains in 2013, but some units are still in service in Asturias.

The Carde y Escoriaza railcar is a railcar train type formerly operated in the Basque Country, Spain. They were introduced in the Bilbao-Plentzia railway in 1927, and were later operated by Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos, Euskotren, Metro Bilbao and Euskal Trenbide Sarea until 2012.

The Txorierri line, also known as the Bilbao–Lezama railway is a narrow-gauge railway in Biscay, Basque Country, Spain. Owned by Euskal Trenbide Sarea, it runs from Lezama to Matiko, from where it continues as line 3 of the Bilbao metro.

References

Citations

↑ "por el que se autoriza la resolución de la concesión, con abandono de la explotación y levante de la línea Las Arenas-Canteras de Neguri, de la que es concesionaria la «Compañía de los Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos de Bilbao, S. A.», de acuerdo con lo establecido en el artículo 45 de la Ley de 21 de abril de 1949.". Decreto No. 2198/1966 of 5 September 1996 (in Spanish). Vol. 215. p. 12722. Retrieved 5 July 2022– via BOE.
↑ Olaizola, p. 28.
↑ Olaizola, p. 36.
1 2 Olaizola, p. 37.
↑ "Hoy" (PDF). La Gaceta del Norte (in Spanish). 11 May 1975. p. 2. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
↑ Peris Torner, Juan (9 May 2012). "Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos de Bilbao S.A. (FTSB)". Spanish Railway (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 July 2022.
↑ Olaizola, pp. 119.
1 2 Iturralde, Mikel (29 November 2011). "Metro Bilbao se desprende como chatarra de unidades históricas de los antiguos ferrocarriles bilbaínos". Treneando (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2023.
↑ Olaizola, pp. 86–87.
↑ "Euskotren restaura un automotor de 1928 para el Museo Vasco del Ferrocarril en Azpeitia". Irekia (in Spanish). Eusko Jaurlaritza - Gobierno Vasco. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
↑ Olaizola, pp. 97–100.
↑ Martínez Suero, Estela (27 June 2001). "Adiós a los trenes multicolores". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 May 2021.
↑ Olaizola, Juanjo (2001). Bilbo eta Donostia arteko trenaren material motorea / Material motor del ferrocarril de Bilbao a San Sebastián (in Spanish and Basque). Bilbao: Eusko Trenbideak Ferrocarriles Vascos , S.A. pp. 117–118. ISBN 84-920629-3-2.
↑ Olaizola, Juanjo (21 August 2015). "Los automotores Asthom de Suburbanos de Bilbao y los Ferrocarriles Vascongados". Historias del tren (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 July 2022.
↑ Olaizola, pp. 88–91.
↑ Olaizola, Juanjo (18 March 2013). "Las unidades de tren y los automotores Naval de vía métrica (I)". Historias del tren (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 July 2022.

Sources

Salmerón i Bosch, Carles; Olaizola Elordi, Juanjo (1990). Eusko Trenbideak - Ferrocarriles Vascos: Historia eta teknika - Historia y técnica (in Spanish and Basque). Barcelona: Terminus. ISBN 84-404-8322-8.

External links

Media related to Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos at Wikimedia Commons

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[1] "por el que se autoriza la resolución de la concesión, con abandono de la explotación y levante de la línea Las Arenas-Canteras de Neguri, de la que es concesionaria la «Compañía de los Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos de Bilbao, S. A.», de acuerdo con lo establecido en el artículo 45 de la Ley de 21 de abril de 1949.". Decreto No. 2198/1966 of 5 September 1996 (in Spanish). Vol. 215. p. 12722. Retrieved 5 July 2022– via BOE.

[FOOTNOTEOlaizola28-2] Olaizola, p. 28.

[FOOTNOTEOlaizola36-3] Olaizola, p. 36.

[FOOTNOTEOlaizola37-4] 1 2 Olaizola, p. 37.

[5] "Hoy" (PDF). La Gaceta del Norte (in Spanish). 11 May 1975. p. 2. Retrieved 4 July 2022.

[6] Peris Torner, Juan (9 May 2012). "Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos de Bilbao S.A. (FTSB)". Spanish Railway (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 July 2022.

[FOOTNOTEOlaizola119-7] Olaizola, pp. 119.

[Iturralde-8] 1 2 Iturralde, Mikel (29 November 2011). "Metro Bilbao se desprende como chatarra de unidades históricas de los antiguos ferrocarriles bilbaínos". Treneando (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2023.

[FOOTNOTEOlaizola86–87-9] Olaizola, pp. 86–87.

[10] "Euskotren restaura un automotor de 1928 para el Museo Vasco del Ferrocarril en Azpeitia". Irekia (in Spanish). Eusko Jaurlaritza - Gobierno Vasco. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2022.

[FOOTNOTEOlaizola97–100-11] Olaizola, pp. 97–100.

[12] Martínez Suero, Estela (27 June 2001). "Adiós a los trenes multicolores". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 May 2021.

[13] Olaizola, Juanjo (2001). Bilbo eta Donostia arteko trenaren material motorea / Material motor del ferrocarril de Bilbao a San Sebastián (in Spanish and Basque). Bilbao: Eusko Trenbideak Ferrocarriles Vascos , S.A. pp. 117–118. ISBN 84-920629-3-2.

[14] Olaizola, Juanjo (21 August 2015). "Los automotores Asthom de Suburbanos de Bilbao y los Ferrocarriles Vascongados". Historias del tren (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 July 2022.

[FOOTNOTEOlaizola88–91-15] Olaizola, pp. 88–91.

[HT-16] Olaizola, Juanjo (18 March 2013). "Las unidades de tren y los automotores Naval de vía métrica (I)". Historias del tren (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 July 2022.

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v t e Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos
Lines	Bilbao–Lezama Bilbao–Plentzia Lutxana–Mungia Matico–Azbarren
Rolling stock	MAB 1–12 (Carde y Escoriaza, early version) (1927–2011) MAB 13–15 (Carde y Escoriaza, later version) (1930–2012) MB 100 series (1965–1998) MD 1–3 (Alsthom) (1949–1970s) TU series (1954–2011)