The COMMITMENTS governing the entire organisation of Euskotren, as set out in the Responsible Governance Policy Statement, include the following:
Commitment to Sustainability
A prosperous, modern and advanced society is only possible if our natural resources are protected and respected and any environmental risks that may affect the health and quality of life of all people are prevented.
In this sense, one of the key aspects of a sustainable development model is the right to a dignified life in a quality environment for all people, today and in the future.
At Euskotren, we are working to achieve a low-carbon service through a change in the provision of our services. Our goal is to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and significantly increase the efficiency in the use of resources, i.e. the better management of resources throughout their life cycle.
The purpose of all this is to bequeath to future generations a land that is more pleasant, more sustainable, and with the greatest potential for development. The environment is a cross-cutting element that contributes to a feeling of well-being, to job creation, and to the development of the economy in the future.
Commitment to Quality
Excellent quality services that are citizen-oriented: offering safe travel that is accessible to all people, on time, comfortable, innovative, high-quality, and ensuring their satisfaction when using Euskotren services.
Our view on quality consists of a pragmatic and passionate working model to meet the mobility needs of today’s generations while regularly reassessing our services, work methods, and service quality to adapt to the changing demands of citizens.
Commitment to Gender Equality
A competitive and committed workforce: in a safe and healthy working environment for everyone, fostering job stability, investing in the professional and personal development of the workers, fostering gender opportunities, equal treatment and suitability, diversity, participation and team work; labour relations based on respect, dialogue and achieving co-responsibility in the work-life balance.
Euskotren has been recognised by Emakunde as a Partner Entity for Gender Equality since 2007 and belonged to the Group of Companies for Equality, which was also an Emakunde initiative and run between 2004-2006.
The aim has been to strengthen Euskotren’s commitment to achieve gender equality and to build on the process started in 2006, when the I Euskotren Plan for Equality was approved and implemented. During 2010 and 2011, the assessment of the I Plan and the analysis of the equality between women and men situation was used to prepare the II Gender Equality Plan 2012-2016. The III Gender Equality Plan ran from 2017 to 2020. The IV Gender Equality Plan 2023-2025 is currently in force
Euskotren also belongs to the BAI Sarea Network of companies for gender equality, driven by Emakunde. Euskotren also has several good equality management practices recognised by Euskalit and Emakunde, and further information is available on them here.
Commitment to Health and Safety
Euskotren’s views on Health and Safety are based on a Responsible Governance Policy, designed to carry out our activities in a safe and healthy environment for all the people who work in and for the Organisation.
Commitment to the Basque Language (Euskera)
One of Euskotren’s key commitments is to continue taking steps to ensure the normal and natural use of Basque in the future; always seeking agreements and consensus among the company’s key stakeholders.
Euskotren’s overall goal is to ensure the service is provided in Basque for our customers, and increase its use among the workforce.
As a result of the actions implemented, Euskotren was granted the BIKAIN Silver certificate in 2016 to reward the level of use, presence and management of Basque, achieving a high-intermediate ranking. A Certificate of Language Management Quality, awarded by the Language Policy Office of the Basque Government, in collaboration with Euskalit-Gestion Avanzada.
Commitment to Society
Every day, our commitment is to provide society with a sustainable, high-quality transport service, based on the principles of efficiency, safety and accessibility.
Euskotren’s corporate policy includes, among other aspects, the management of the public transport-related museums with which it has been entrusted. Therefore, it manages the Basque Railway Museum, located in the town of Azpeitia, performing the important task of sharing the history of railroads. This museum includes a wide range of items, including trains built during the Industrial Revolution, ancient electric trams, and the first steam locomotives. In addition, it manages steam and diesel train services and is home to the mechanical workshop of the old Urola Railway, as well as a collection of railway clocks and uniforms used on the railways from the late 19th century until today.
Euskotren is a member of different sectoral and other local, community and international organisations. As far as transport is concerned, it takes part in the International Union of Railways (UIC), the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), the Spanish Railways Foundation, and the Association of Management Companies of Collective Urban Transport (ATUC). When it comes to museums and tourism, in the Unión des Exploitants de Chemins de Touristiques et de Musées, the International Association of Transports Museums (IATM), the European Federation of Museum & Tourist Railways (Fedecrail) and the Spanish Tourist Railways Cluster (AFCHE). Euskotren also contributes to the following entities: the Basque Logistics Institute, the Basque Quality Foundation (Euskalit), the Mobility and Logistics Cluster (MLC ITS Euskadi), the Association for Managerial Progress (APD), the Basque Innovation Agency (INNOBASQUE) and Bilbao Metropoli-30.
In addition, Euskotren collaborates with various entities dedicated to issues that concern its target public, whether external or internal: the environment, accessibility, equality between men and women, the Basque language, culture and sport, among others aspects.