San Sebastián Metro Explained

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San Sebastián Metro
Imagesize2:280px
Owner:Euskal Trenbide Sarea
Locale:Donostialdea (greater area of San Sebastián), Gipuzkoa, Spain
Lines:2
Stations:21
Annual Ridership:12 million (2018)[1]
Operator:Euskotren
System Length:29.8 km
El:1,500 V DC overhead catenary

Euskotren operates frequent commuter rail services in the city of San Sebastián and the surrounding Donostialdea area, in the Basque Country, Spain. The infrastructure is gradually being upgraded to rapid transit standards, in order to create the San Sebastián Metro (Spanish; Castilian: Metro de San Sebastián, Basque: Donostiako metroa). The line is commonly known as es|'''Topo'''|mole, due to the large number of tunnels present.[2] As of 2021, the San Sebastián suburban rail services are branded as part of the Euskotren Trena network, with no separate identity.[3] [4]

History

The meter-gauge line opened on December 5, 1912 between San Sebastián with Irun. It was extended to Hendaye the following year.[5] The network was subsequently owned by FEVE, the Spanish narrow-gauge railway company, until it was transferred to the Basque Government in the 1970s. In the early 1980s, it was integrated into EuskoTren, along with other narrow-gauge lines in the Basque Country.

Since the 2010s, the line has been gradually upgraded towards rapid transit standards. In 2012, together with the opening of a new tunnel between Loiola and Herrera, it was announced that the line would be renamed to Metro Donostialdea. This branding, however, has since been abandoned.[3] In 2015, a branch was opened from Herrera to . This branch will be part of the new alignment between Herrera and .[6] [7]

Future developments

A 4.2km (02.6miles) underground loop through the city centre was originally planned to open in 2022,[8] [9] but is now scheduled for 2025 or early 2026.[10] This new tunnel will have three stations:, and ;[11] the last one of which will substitute the current Amara terminus. When the tunnel is completed, the need to reverse at Amara will disappear.[12]

The works on the new - stretch began in February 2022, with completion scheduled for 2027.[13] This new alignment will simplify operations by absorbing the Altza branch into the main line. When completed, the line will be double-tracked between and .

Operations

There are two numbered lines: E2 and E5. Line E5 runs from to every 15 minutes on weekdays, and every 30 minutes during most of the weekend. Line E2 has two services: one from to Irun, and another one from Lasarte-Oria to Hendaia; each running every 30 minutes during weekdays. The Irun to Lasarte-Oria service is reduced on weekends to a twice-hourly service from Irun to on Saturday afternoons.[14] Additionally, trains running on the Bilbao-San Sebastián line call at all the stations between and Amara.[15]

Due to the existence of various overlapping services, headways vary depending on the time of the day and location. Since 2012, with the opening of the new Loiola-Herrera tunnel, there is a train every 7.5 minutes between and Herrera.[16] With the opening of the tunnel through the city center, it will be possible to offer regular headways in a longer stretch of the line.

Station list

The following table shows regular weekday service patterns. The first trains in the morning and the last in the evening make shorter trips.[14]

Trains stop at stations marked with "●" and don't stop at those marked with"|":

StationE2E5 Amara-AltzaLocation
Lasarte/Oria-HendaiaLasarte/Oria-Irun
Through-service to/from Matiko or via the Bilbao-San Sebastián line ↑
 Lasarte-Oria
 San Sebastián
 
 
Anoeta
Loiola
Intxaurrondo
Herrera
Pasaia Pasaia
 Errenteria
 
 
 Oiartzun
 Lezo
 Irun
 
 
  
Hendaia  Hendaye

Network map

Rolling stock

See main article: article. The line shares rolling stock with the rest of the Euskotren Trena network. Currently, 900 series trains are used.[17] [18] In the past, 200, 300 and 3500 series trains were used.[19]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: El Topo gana en Gipuzkoa un 11,6% de viajeros. El Diario Vasco. 19 January 2019. 5 September 2019. Spanish.
  2. News: El Topo, historia de la línea internacional entre San Sebastián y Hendaya . 15 September 2021 . Vía Libre . 18 January 2013 . es.
  3. News: Chico . A. . Vuelve el 'Topo' frente al 'Metro' . 15 September 2021 . 14 May 2017 . es.
  4. Web site: Timetables . Euskotren . 15 September 2021.
  5. Web site: Ferrocarril Eléctrico de San Sebastián a la frontera (Ferrocarril de San Sebastián a Hendaya- El Topo) . Spanish Railway . 15 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140307080224/http://www.spanishrailway.com/2012/05/07/ferrocarril-electrico-de-san-sebastian-a-la-frontera-ferrocarril-de-san-sebastian-a-hendaya-el-topo/ . 7 March 2014 . es.
  6. News: Chico . Amaia . La variante Altza-Galtzaraborda estará acabada en 2025 y costará 64 millones . 15 September 2021 . El Diario Vasco . 1 July 2021 . es.
  7. News: C. . A. . Altza, el único ramal suelto de una línea continua . 15 September 2021 . El Diario Vasco . 8 August 2017 . es.
  8. Web site: Obras del Topo: El túnel de Miraconcha y el de la Avenida de Zarautz ya son uno. Donostitik. 2 September 2019. 6 September 2019 . es.
  9. News: Chico . Amaia . Excavada la nueva estación del Topo de Easo . 15 September 2021 . El Diario Vasco . 16 January 2020 . es.
  10. News: Mata . Miguel Ángel . El 90% de la obra del Topo por el centro de Donostia ya está terminada . El Diario Vasco . 20 October 2023 . 4 September 2023 . es.
  11. News: Alonso . Carolina . Finaliza la conexión entre Lugaritz y el nuevo trazado del Topo . 15 September 2021 . Noticias de Gipuzkoa . 11 September 2021 . es.
  12. News: El 'Topo' de Euskotren recupera el lunes la circulación en doble vía en las inmediaciones de Lugaritz de San Sebastián . 15 September 2021 . El Diario . 12 September 2021 . es.
  13. News: Villameriel . Miguel . El Gobierno Vasco iniciará este lunes las obras de la variante soterrada del Topo Altza - Galtzaraborda . 6 November 2022 . El Diario Vasco . 17 February 2022 . es.
  14. Web site: Timetables - E2 Hendaia / Lasarte-Oria ---- E5 Altza / Amara. Euskotren . 28 May 2021.
  15. Web site: Timetables - E1 Amara / Matiko . Euskotren . 15 September 2021.
  16. News: Ayer entró en servicio la variante ferroviaria Loyola-Herrera de Metro de Donostialdea . 15 September 2021 . Vía Libre . 5 October 2012 . es.
  17. Web site: Arriola ha inaugurado el primer viaje de los nuevos trenes de EuskoTren . euskotren.eus . 17 May 2021 . http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.euskotren.es%2Fes%2Fnode%2F1327 . 23 July 2011 . es.
  18. News: El Topo, historia de la línea internacional entre San Sebastián y Hendaya . 15 September 2021 . Vía Libre . 18 January 2013 . es.
  19. Book: Juanjo Olaizola

    . Olaizola . Juanjo . Juanjo Olaizola . Bilbo eta Donostia arteko trenaren material motorea / Material motor del ferrocarril de Bilbao a San Sebastián . 2001 . . . 84-920629-3-2 . 143–145 . es, eu.