Basque Authorities Unveil Commuter Rail Expansion Following €1B Infrastructure Transfer

The Basque Country commuter rail line will improve rail access for rural communities and smaller towns. It follows the autonomous region’s takeover of commuter rail services. Those services were previously managed by the Spanish government. That gives regional authorities a more direct management role. It also links suburban rail development more closely to local transport needs. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The service will connect areas outside the main metropolitan network to Bilbao’s suburban rail system. Bilbao is the nearest major urban center. The announcement was presented by Susana García Chueca, the Basque Government’s Minister for Sustainable Mobility. José Antonio Santano, Spain’s Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, also took part.

The new route will be known as line C5. It will run between Karrantza and Aranguren. The route connects Karrantza and Zalla in Enkarterri. The area is in the western part of Bizkaia province.

C5 line between Karrantza and Aranguren

On weekdays, the C5 line will provide five trains in each direction. On weekends and public holidays, one train will operate each way. The line will use Cercanías-style fares, making it cheaper than medium-distance rail tickets.

Also, it will sit alongside the area’s existing rail offer. It will not replace it. Current services include three medium-distance trains between Bilbao and Santander. They also include the “Carranzano,” a morning train from Karrantza to Bilbao. That train serves every station on the future C5 route.

The Basque Government will support the additional services. Annual funding will reach up to 900,000 EUR. After launch, the area will have 101 Cercanías and Media Distancia rail trips per week. That is an 85% increase compared with the current level.

The project for the new commuter line “is a demand from the residents of Karrantza, who were calling for better public rail connectivity with the capital of Bizkaia [the capital of the province of Bizkaia is the city of Bilbao] and with other locations in Enkarterri [a subregion in western Bizkaia]. It is also one of the priorities established since the Basque Government assumed responsibility for managing suburban rail services, so that this area of the Basque Country can benefit from a better sustainable mobility service,” stated the Councilor for Sustainable Mobility.

Electrification works

Adif completed electrification works on the section. That made passenger services between Karrantza and Aranguren possible. Adif owns the rail infrastructure used by the new service. The wider Cercanías network in the Basque Country also operates on that infrastructure. It is a public company under Spain’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.

Meanwhile, the electrification of the Aranguren–Karrantza section formed part of the transfer commitments. It is also included in a wider investment programme. Adif is contributing over 600 EUR million.

With the works completed, Renfe 436-series electric trains can serve the full Bilbao–Karrantza route. Also, the same trains are used on line C4. That metric-gauge commuter route links Bilbao’s La Concordia station with Balmaseda/La Calzada.

Cercanías Bilbao rail access

The Basque Country commuter rail line will join the Cercanías Bilbao suburban rail network. Basque Country authorities administer the network, and Renfe operates it.

Separately, the line will serve six stations. It will cover an area with more than 12,000 residents. At Aranguren station in Zalla, passengers will be able to change to line C4. That line runs from Balmaseda to Bilbao La Concordia. It carries an average of about 94,000 passengers per month.

Basque Government rail takeover

The Basque Government took over commuter rail administration on January 1, 2025. The services had previously been managed by the Spanish authorities. The transfer was based on an agreement signed in November 2024. In addition, the agreement provided for cooperation with Renfe as operator. Under the same agreement, the Spanish government made a commitment through Adif. It committed to invest approximately 400 EUR million. The investment covers the regional rail network over the following ten years.

Transferred rail networks

Several suburban networks were transferred under this arrangement. They included the Bilbao Cercanías system. That is the main commuter rail network serving Bilbao and its surrounding metropolitan area.

For example, the agreement covered Bilbao’s Iberian-gauge 1,668 mm Cercanías network. It included:

C-1 Bilbao Abando – Barakaldo – Santurtzi;

C-2 Bilbao Abando – Barakaldo – Muskiz; and

C-3 Bilbao Abando – Orduña.

In addition, it included the metric-gauge 1,000 mm suburban network in Bilbao. That network is represented by line C-4f Bilbao – Balmaseda. The agreement also covered the Iberian-gauge suburban network in San Sebastián, or Donostia. That network consists of line C-1 Irun – San Sebastián – Tolosa – Brínkola.

Together, these lines account for approximately 426 services per day. They carry more than 22 million passengers annually.

Rolling stock renewal

Also, Renfe is implementing a rolling stock renewal programme. It is intended to make rail travel more attractive for commuters. The programme covers 25 of the oldest trains in a fleet of 44. Those trains will be gradually replaced by the end of 2027. The new units will be more efficient and higher-performing.

The transfer of commuter services is intended to support closer alignment with local needs. It is also intended to enable more coordinated investment management. At the same time, it creates a framework for a more modern commuter rail network. That network is intended to respond to growing demand. Also, wider regional control and service expansion are presented as part of those efforts. They aim to make rail travel more attractive and ease pressure on road transport.

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