The Larreineta funicular railway to celebrate its centenary this year with refurbished carriages and a range of commemorative events
• Euskotren will refurbish the two carriages of this historic means of transport, one of its kind in Europe
• This project, which will ensure the funicular railway continues to offer quality public transport for the residents of Larreineta and La Arboleda, is one of the many initiatives planned to mark the railway’s 100th anniversary during 2026, in coordination with Trapagaran Local Council.
Euskotren, the publicly-owned company under the Basque Government’s Ministry of Sustainable Mobility, is to fully refurbish the two carriages of the historic means of transport to celebrate the centenary of the Larreinta funicular railway. This was announced today by the Basque Government’s Deputy Minister for Infrastructures and Sustainable Mobility, Miguel Ángel Páez, and the Mayor of Trapagaran, Miguel Ángez Gómez Viar, during a press conference at Larreineta station, in which the Euskotren General Manager, Javier Seoane, and the Director of the Basque Railway Museum, Juanjo Olaizola, also took part.
The project to refurbish the carriages – costing €142,000 and with a lead time of six months – seeks to ensure greater comfort and convenience when travelling; the aim is to continue offering quality transport for the residents of Larreineta and La Arboleda and for visitors alike, as it has been doing continuously for one hundred years, specifically, since its maiden journey on 26 September 1926. ‘The goal of the Basque Government and Euskotren is to provide the funicular with greater travel comfort and convenience to continue offering quality transport for the residents of Larreineta and La Arboleda and for visitors,’ stressed the Basque Deputy Minister for Infrastructures and Sustainable Mobility, Miguel Ángel Páez.
Euskotren has found a novel technical solution to ensure that the funicular service is not disrupted during the work. It consists of replacing the first carriage while it is in the workshop by a modified maritime container, with a front windscreen and fitted out with a fully functional driving position so the driver can oversee the journey and act if necessary.
Once the first carriage has been refurbished, it will be returned to service and container will be moved to replace the other carriage while it is being refurbished.
The container will not transport passengers and the funicular will only run one carriage; this will mean that there will have to be temporary changes to the timetables until the work is finished. When only one carriage is operational, the service will run every 60 minutes during most of the day on weekdays, although there will be a funicular every 40 minutes at peak times. The more frequent service will apply from 7.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and from 1.40 p.m. to 3.40 p.m. There will also be a weekend service adapted to passengers’ needs. If there is ever a specific need in demand, the plan is to put on additional bus or taxi services.
2026: the centenary year
The carriages currently in service on the Larreineta funicular railway were designed and manufactured in 1985; even though the respective maintenance works and partial repairs have been undertaken since then, there has no been structural refurbishing as will be carried out in the coming months.
Thus, the Larreineta funicular will debut completely refurbished carriages in 2026, the year of its centenary. This project is just one of the main initiatives that Eusotren, in conjunction with Trapagaran Local Council, is going to organise to mark the anniversary. All these initiatives will come together under the 100th Anniversary of Larreineta Funicular Railway brand, which was set up with the main aim of bolstering the symbolic value of the Centenary.
This brand is a tribute to the history, the present use and a bright future, recognising the original reason for building the funicular railway, which would transform the social and mining life of La Arboleda and Trapagaran, and the characteristics of the current service as a means of transport which has also become a symbol of Basque industrial heritage (declared an ‘Asset of Cultural Interest’ in 2014).
The design is inspired by the funicular itself and its most characteristic component: the horizontal platform design, which makes it one of a kind in Europe. The platform which bears the number 100 symbolises the movement and passing of time, a journey that began in the past but which embraces the future.