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The first phase of the Metro's Line 2 has become operational seventy-seven months after Line 1 was opened. The first section of the suburban facility constitutes a genuine revolution for public transport in the Greater Bilbao Area and, in view of the considerable passenger potential, the same experience will be true of the Left Bank of the River Nervión. Line 1 opened on 11 November 1995, and was completed on 5 July 1997 following the inauguration of stations at Santutxu, Basarrate and Bolueta. Thus a 28-kilometre, 28-station system became operational between Plentzia and Bolueta.

Line 1 has greatly improved mobility within the city, and has managed to break the tendency towards increased traffic around the Southern Access and La Avanzada. A number of surveys carried out by Metro Bilbao, the company operating the service, show that over 15,000 passengers use the metro in preference to private vehicles. It caters for the usual passengers consisting of students and company employees, but it has also gained other patrons which use the system in their leisure time or to go shopping.

The number of passengers has continued to rise. Whilst in 1996 the system was used by 31,660,000 passengers, in the year 2001 this rose to almost 56,000,000. International acknowledgement has been manifested by hundreds of visits by foreign personalities and professional people who have had the chance to inspect its stations, and in particular by the quality certificates issued and the prizes awarded. We may mention, for example, the prestigious Brunel Award, or recall that the facility won an award for cleanliness. This has had much to do with its patrons, since the Metro is respected and appreciated by the vast majority of people in Vizcaya. As of today the people of Barakaldo and Sestao may also take advantage of the Metro.

The Bilbao Metro was considered to be the most profitable solution for transformation of the public transport system in Greater Bilbao: an area which accounts for 43% of the population of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, 78% of the population of the Territory of Bizkaia, and has a population density of almost 2,250 inhabitants per square kilometre, seven times the average for the Autonomous Community as a whole.

This urban agglomeration has a flourishing services sector - it provides 42% of jobs in the Autonomous Community, it contains over 57% of the occupied population and an industrial structure generating 35% of jobs. It is now a viable communications centre, with substantial international incidence on activities relating to innovation and hi-tech, and also has an exceptional pole of attraction created by the Guggenheim Museum. We might also mention its quality as a space for opportunity, in view of its central location within a development process in the centre of Bilbao and areas around the river.

The central nature of this area with respect to the Basque Country, the State and Europe required a tool to create a swift and flexible internal exchange system. Data from the latest survey conducted by the Bizkaia Transport Consortium (CTB) show that over 1,150,000 vehicle journeys are made on a daily basis, of which 500,000 are accounted for by public transport, and the remaining journeys by car. Roads inside and outside the city are now totally saturated, and cannot be extended any further.

It was impossible to carry out any road extensions in view of the area's orographic configuration. Another possible solution which had to be rejected was the use of more city buses, since they can carry very few passengers and cause traffic problems - street-level trains could not be used either, in view of their aesthetic impact - and thus the solution was the Metro, as shown by Line 1 over its first six years. The Metro has become the Basque Country's most popular form of transport, and may also be used as a link and regulation unit for other means of transport. In a word, it vertebrates the mobility of the local population.

As of today, the Left Bank of the Nervión River in the Ezkerraldea district has become the new land "conquered" by the Metro. Barakaldo, the area's most densely-populated town, is beginning a process of change in relation to its customs of mobility. The current equilibrium between the use of private vehicles (49%) and public transport (51%) is sure to be altered to the advantage of the latter.

The arrival of the Metro is not just another change in the development of this long-suffering area of Greater Bilbao: it is the big change. Today it becomes a dynamic feature of prime importance in connection with public transport, but the area has also been activated from the social, cultural and economic viewpoints. Line 2 covers the densely-populated towns on the Left Bank, using a different route to the current RENFE railway track and going underground beneath the main towns.

With an approximate population of 275,000 (24% of the population of the province of Bizkaia), the Left Bank provided economic thrust for the Basque Country over many years. Unfortunately, industrial expansion was followed by a period of recession, and this area has been hard hit by industrial reconversion over the last twenty years, with high rates of unemployment and much social degradation - problems which, happily, are now being solved. The Metro will be the ultimate form of transport to come out of the tunnel and transform Ezkerraldea into a location of opportunity and progress.

Line 2 of the Bilbao Metro operates between Santurtzi and Basauri. It is 20.5 kilometres in length, of which 10 kilometres run along the Left Bank, crossing the river beneath Lutxana, and the remaining 10.5 kilometres are shared with Line 1, which cover the centre of Bilbao and will eventually reach Basauri.

The Ezkerraldea extension was divided into five phases of construction. The first phase now inaugurated provided a link between the San Inazio station in Bilbao and Urbinaga in Sestao. The next stages will lead to the inauguration of stations and routes around Sestao, Portugalete and Santurtzi, as far as Kabiezes. The last section of Line 2 will reach Basauri.

This huge project will require an outlay of 434,054,000 euros (72,220 million pesetas) by the Bizkaia Transport Consortium, the body constructing the Bilbao Metro, with finance provided by the Basque Government (50%) and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia (50%).

Line 2 will introduce a clear configuration of the Metro's "Y" shape around Greater Bilbao. The spinal column it has already become is enhanced by the new extension, consolidating it as the main feature of public transport. Rearrangement of the Bizkaibus bus services to prevent duplications and provide a "supply" of passengers for the Metro operates in conjunction with the intermodal features of Urbinaga station in Sestao, where passengers on RENFE trains can use the Metro connection.

The Metro will also provide a constant access route for many people towards the Left Bank; thousands more people will visit the area for the purposes of training, employment, on a social basis, or simply for leisure purposes or to have a look at the local attractions, many of which are concealed.

When, on 21 March 1997, the Lehendakari or Head of the Basque Government, Ardanza, authorised construction work on the first phase of Line 2 at Bagatza, the local people realised it would be a long time before it actually started up. Following investment by the Bizkaia Transport Consortium of 281,395,000 euros (46,800 million pesetas), inauguration day has arrived. As of 13 April 2002, the people of Barakaldo and Sestao have begun to offset the inconveniences caused by construction work.

The second repercussion is the social role it will play for many people who can only use public transport which is reasonably priced. Many people do not own cars and others, although they do have a car, cannot afford the cost of running it on a daily basis or just don't want to use it. A means of transport has likewise been provided for both young and old, and for persons with disabilities who cannot use cars for reasons other than the purely economic. The Metro in Ezkerraldea will provide easy access to the essentials of city life: study, employment, health centres, medical, financial and other professional services, cultural activities, leisure and recreational facilities.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the Metro will provide a boost for local business as a strategic feature to determine the competitive capacity of the economy. It will put companies in contact with a larger selection of manpower, and will help employees to reach their places of work - this is particularly important since people tend to live increasingly further from their work. It will reduce transport costs for both employees and companies, and will also improve productivity since it reduces time wasted on journeys to a bare minimum. Commercial outlets and other tertiary units which concentrate on easy access for customers will be the first to notice activity around the Metro entrances in close proximity.

The first phase of Line 2 consists of 5,770 metres of track between the station at San Inazio in Bilbao and Urbinaga in Sestao. Of this, 5,015 metres are subterraneous excavations, and the remainder consists of a viaduct over the plain of the Galindo River. It boasts the deepest section of the Metro, the steepest inclines and a meandering subterraneous route which seeks out the more densely-populated areas between Barakaldo and Sestao. Work on the infrastructure carried out by Imebisa, the Metro engineering company dependent on the Basque Government's Transport and Public Works Department, recorded an investment of 158,280,000 euros (26,335 million pesetas).

Drilling through just over five kilometres of galleries and four underground stations on this section involved excavation of some 350,000 cubic metres of rock. 76,000 m3 of concrete were employed as supports and lining for the tunnels, and 56,000 m2 were sheathed in prefab plaques which give the stations their "Foster aesthetics".

Excavation of the tunnels was carried out by drilling through a number of marl and limestone marl rock formations. The rock drilling system is known as the New Austrian Method (NATM), and consists of preliminary excavation of the galleries with heavy-duty tunnelling machines - one such machine was brought from the gold mines of South Africa. Sections between 10 and 15 metres in length were then excavated and the walls supported by a pin-and-truss system, and finally the construction was lined with gunned concrete.

The gallery was built from several different points: Entrance to Barakaldo, from Sestao; the station at Ansio and San Inazio. During the project the tunnels drilled meet up at three points of convergence.

Work on the infrastructure also includes the 26 escalators, each of which can cope with 11,700 passengers every hour, and the 19 lifts connecting street level with the mezzanines and the platforms.

The five new stations are Gurutzeta/Cruces, Ansio, Barakaldo, Bagatza and Urbinaga. The first four are located in Barakaldo, whilst the fifth is in Sestao. Three of them (Gurutzeta/Cruces, Barakaldo and Bagatza) retain the cavernous configuration designed by Norman Foster, with access to street level via escalators and lifts, and elevation units with a direct connection from the mezzanine area or passenger distribution area in relation to the platforms. The other two stations, Ansio and Urbinaga, are atypical - Ansio, because it was excavated at ground level, as was Sarriko station on Line 1, and Urbinaga, since it is located above a viaduct. The platform accesses and exits are also different. All stations have been strategically located to provide access to a Metro station in less than 10 minutes for over 75,000 people.

Although the external image of Line 2 will be the same as Line 1, when it is fully operational it will have many other attributes which will not be seen, but which will certainly be perceived by passengers. For example, the line has been fitted with a rigid low-maintenance energy-saving catenary; the 13 trains to be used on the route have hi-tech ATO and ATP safety systems to prevent accidents, and 32 monitors are to be installed for 24-hour recordings.

The Bizkaia Transport Consortium spent 35,625,000 euros (5,297 million pesetas) on this equipment. The figure also includes the cost of 25 kilometres of fibre optic cable, the 55 security cameras fitted (17 cameras at Urbinaga station alone), and the 57 interphone facilities.

It also includes 23 kilometres of track and 10,165 bi-bloc rail sleepers, 49 entrance machines for passenger access at stations, and the 18 new ticket dispensers which have been adapted for use by the disabled.

The 13 new trains for the Metro cost 82,020,000 euros (13,646 million pesetas) and, although from the aesthetic viewpoint they are identical to those used on Line 1, they feature the most modern technology and safety devices currently available on the market. The consists used on Line 2 will not be used exclusively on this section, but will be added to the whole fleet for use on both sections simultaneously.

THE METRO, A PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE

This, however, is not the end of the story. Work has already begun to bring the Metro to the centre of Sestao within two years, and this year the Etxebarri section, also planned for the year 2004, will be given out to tender. Subsequent building work has also been dated in accordance with the Investment Plan drawn up by the Bizkaia Transport Consortium: work is to be completed on the Sestao - Portugalete section by the year 2006; Portugalete - Santurtzi in the year 2008; Santurtzi - Kabiezes in the year 2010, and Basauri in the year 2011.

Other routes on the Left Bank will total 6,610 metres. Construction will be carried out on the basis of a single-section tunnel drilled through rock using tunnelling equipment.

There will be six stations in all: Sestao, at the centre; Abatxolo, Portugalete and Peñota, part of Portugalete, Santurtzi, and Kabiezes, the last station to be built. A total of 120,000 people will have a Metro stop less than ten minutes from their homes.

All the stations will be built in accordance with the style used by Norman Foster, and will be located beneath the centres of certain urban nuclei.

On Bilbao's western side, the system will have a connection between Bolueta and Basauri. One section of this extension has already been built on to the station at Bolueta, in order to provide the users of Line 2 with a train every five minutes during rush-hour periods. Passengers on Line 1 will also benefit from this, since they will have a train every 2.5 minutes at the stations in Bilbao.

Work will continue on a further 532 metres of rail to Etxebarri by the end of this year. The remaining 2.5 kilometres have been divided into two phases. The first phase will begin this year, and will involve construction of the station for Etxebarri, and the future depots at Ariz and Basauri. This project is expected to be completed by the year 2004, whilst work will have finished on the second phase by the beginning of the next decade - this will include stations at Arizgoiti and Basauri, and will provide an immediate service for around 20,000 local people.