European Railroad Discussion > Euro-July Part 3 - Basque region of Spain

From Bordeaux we took a TGV to Hendaya, which is the French side of the France-Spain border.  The TGV went on to Irun, Spain, for a connection with RENFE, but we changed at Hendaya to Euskotren to get to San Sebastian/Donostia, which is the Basque region's meter-gauge electrified interurban railway.   Euskotren operates what used to be the FEVE narrow-gauge lines within the Basque region.  The following day I rode Euskotren from San Sebastain/Donostia to Bilbao and back.  Euskotren operates several levels of service on this line and its branches.  Through trains are only once an hour, but there are numerous short-turn workings so that some sections of the line have 6-8 trains per hour per direction.  Euskotren also operates some freight services as EuskoCargo using electric locomotives.  I saw some freight cars loaded with lumber, and there is an intermodal loading center in Bilbao that had a line of intermodal cars and a number of containers, but no activity when I was there.  EuskoCargo interchanges with the FEVE lines, so freight can circulate throughout northern Spain on the meter-gauge lines.    Northern Spain is known for "June Gloom" just like coastal California, so unfortunately there was not much sun while we were there. 

1.  TGV at SNCF Hendaya station.  Love those French mechanical signals! 
2.  Euskotren at Hendaya Station (France).  SNCF station is in background - so connection is very close.  Where else can you ride a meter-gauge line between two countries?
3.  Two Euskotrens arriving simultaneously at San Sebastian/Donostia-Amara station.  Train on left is from Hendaya (France), and train on right is from the Bilbao line. 
 

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4.  Euskotren CAF EMUs at Bilbao-Atxuri station with Euskotram in background.  Euskotren also operates Euskotram, and the Bilbao Metro.
5.  Older CAF EMU at Bilbao-Atxuri station.
6.  EMUs departing Zuhatzu station. 
 

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7.  Eastbound Euskotren EMUs approaching Zuhatzu.
8.  Euskotren EMUs departing Zuhatzu.
9.  Westbound Euskotren EMUs approaching Zuhatzu.
 

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10.  Westbound Euskotren EMUs at Zuhatzu.
11.  San Sebastian/Donostia-Amara station.
12.  Platform at San Sebastian/Donostia-Amara station.
 

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13.  Exterior of Bilbao-Atxuri station with Euskotram.  Note stonework with name of prior operator of service "Ferrocariles Vascongados". 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/16 02:03 by dwatry.

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dwatry Wrote, 
>

> 2.  Euskotren at Hendaya Station (France).  SNCF
> station is in background - so connection is very
> close.  Where else can you ride a meter-gauge
> line between two countries?

Switzerland has at least three metre gauge services between itself and France (as part of the extended Basel tram system), and to Italy via the Rhaetian Railway to Italy and the wonderfully named FART between Domodossola and Locarno.

By the way thanks for the photos.

I'm not meaning to be snide re the metre gauge issue by the way.

No snideness detected!  It was a half-rhetorical/half-legitimate question on my part.  I suspected that there might be a Swiss component to some other international meter-gauge, but I did not have time to research before I posted.  I haven't spent much time in Switzerland so I'm not familiar with the myriad lines and services there.  I would certainly like to go and spend some time checking them out, though.  Thanks for the tip on where to focus! 

>
> Switzerland has at least three metre gauge
> services between itself and France (as part of the
> extended Basel tram system), and to Italy via the
> Rhaetian Railway to Italy and the wonderfully
> named FART between Domodossola and Locarno.

The meter/metre-gauge Basel tram system not only crosses to France (and then recrosses back into Switzerland!) but it also crosses into Germany on a separate line (route 8).   

Missed from the list is the Martigny-Châtelard (and end-on connection to the Saint-Gervais--Vallorcine Rly).  which is metre gauge, partially rack and at one time was partially outside third rail pickup.  (Not meaning to take away from the nice photos from the original post).

In North America we still have the 3' gauge WP&Y from Skagway to Carcross.