Lutxana (Metro Bilbao)


Lutxana is a station of line 1 of Metro Bilbao, also served by the Lutxana-Sondika shuttle operated by Euskotren Trena. It is located in the neighbourhood of Lutxana-Enekuri, in the municipality of Erandio. In its current inception, the station was opened on 11 November 1995. The shuttle services started in 2015.

History

The station, originally named Luchana, opened in 1887 as part of the Bilbao-Las Arenas railway, which connected the city of Bilbao with the neighbourhood of Las Arenas, today Areeta, in Getxo. Starting in 1904 the line was expanded to Plentzia, having the station of Bilbao-Aduanas at the southern end of line. The station was located right between a tunnel mouth to the south and the river Asua to the north. The station before on the line was San Ignacio, and the station after was Desierto-Erandio station.
In 1893 the station became the western terminus of the Luchana-Munguia railway, connecting Erandio with the town of Mungia across the Asua valley. A depot was established by the station across the Asua river. In 1947 both railway companies were merged into the Ferrocarriles y Transportes Suburbanos de Bilbao S.A., shortened FTS, who started the work of electrification of both lines as well as a first modernisation of the train station. In 1975 the Luchana-Munguia line was shut down and dismantled due to expansion of the Bilbao Airport runaway on the section between Sondika and Mungia. Although the track between Sondika and Lutxana remained operational, commercial service was discontinued and the rail track was used to move and test railway material.
In 1977 the FTS network was transferred to the public company FEVE and in 1982 to the recently created Basque Railways. After the transfer, it was announced that sections of the Bilbao-Plencia line would be renewed and transformed into the first line of Metro Bilbao, and thus management of the station facilities was transferred to CTB in 1995. The station, then renamed Lutxana following the modern Basque orthography, was then part of a series of renovation projects commissioned by the Basque Government which included the renewal of the platform and station accesses. The new station was opened on 11 November 1995 as part of the Line 1.
Starting in 2015, the section between Lutxana and Sondika reopened to commercial service operated by Euskotren Trena as a shuttle service, which connects Lutxana with Sondika station, also served by Euskotren Trena's E3 line to Lezama.

Station layout

Lutxana is an at-grade open-air station with one side platform and one island platform. The central platform acts as two separate side platforms, as they are separated by a barrier. The platforms are connected by an overpass.

Access

Metro services

The station is served by Line 1 to Etxebarri, Ibarbengoa and Plentzia. There are trains to Etxebarri and Ibarbengoa every five to ten minutes, and services to Plentzia every twenty minutes.

Shuttle services

A shuttle service connecting Lutxana with Zangroiz and Sondika is operated by Euskotren Trena with trains every hour.

Bus services

The station is served by the following regional Bizkaibus lines serve this station: