Metro Bilbao Line 4 funding has been approved under a financing and construction agreement. The agreement is between the Basque regional government and the Bizkaia provincial government. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Metro Bilbao Line 4 funding approved at €412m
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Daniel Erler

The planned 6.7km route will run from Matiko to Rekalde. It will bring metro services to the southern districts of Bilbao in northern Spain.

According to Irekia, the agreement sets an initial budget of €412m. The Basque government will cover 55% of the cost. Bizkaia will provide the remaining 45%. Its contribution is capped at €200m until 2032. Also, the total cost will be updated as design work progresses.

Metro Bilbao Line 4 route and construction plan

Line 4 will start at Matiko, the current terminus of Line 3. It will then run via Deusto/Universidad, Parque, Zabalburu, Moyua and Irala. The line will reach Rekalde after Irala. At Moyua, there will be an interchange with lines 1 and 2. Both are part of the Bilbao Metro network.

Construction is scheduled to begin in Rekalde by the end of 2027, as International Railway Journal reported. Basque Railway Network (ETS), the regional infrastructure manager, is responsible for delivering the project.

Line C4 infrastructure and second phase

In addition, the agreement commits the Basque government and Bizkaia to seek a rail-infrastructure transfer. That transfer would involve 1000mm-gauge rail infrastructure from Adif to the region. Adif is Spain’s national infrastructure manager.

The Basque regional government took over responsibility for commuter operations last year. Those operations are on Line C4 between Bilbao La Concordia and La Calzada. At the same time, the infrastructure remains under central government control.

The second phase of the Line 4 project would use Line C4. It would extend metro services beyond Rekalde towards Enkarterri. Also, this would improve public transport provision in the western part of Bizkaia.

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