Line 4 of the Bilbao metro has been approved with a tender of 458 million euros

The Information Study for Line 4 of the Bilbao Metro has been approved and was published in issue number 190 of the Official Gazette of the Basque Country on October 5, 2026, with official reference 2026/4105. The project is an extension of Line 3 after the Matiko station; it will have an intermodal connection with Lines 1 and 2 at Moyua, and will provide service to the Deusto, Plaza Bizkaia/Parque, Moyua, Zabalburu, Irala, and Rekalde areas. The basic budget for tendering is 458,153,291.31 euros, and the execution period for the works is six years.

The project was promoted by the Transport Infrastructure Directorate of the Basque Government and is located in the municipality of Bilbao. The entire infrastructure will be underground, in a mined tunnel, except for an initial 75-meter cut-and-cover tunnel. According to the document, the alignment passes through high-density urban areas, and geotechnical and functional conditions have determined the design.

6,220 meters of tunnel and six underground stations

The axis of the alignment starts from the maneuvering head of the Matiko station (Line 3) and ends in Basurto, next to the metric gauge line of Adif-RAM, ensuring a future connection to the Cadagua bypass. There will be a total of 6,220 meters of tunnel, with double tracks, and six underground stations.

The details of the stations included in the document are as follows:

• Deusto-Universidad: crossing Lehendakari Aguirre street, with three main accesses in Plaza San Pío X, Avenida Madariaga, and Lehendakari Aguirre itself, including an elevator for PRM (Persons with Reduced Mobility).
• Parque: beneath the eastern end of Parque Dña. Casilda, with three accesses in Plaza Euskadi, within the park itself, and around the Museo de Bellas Artes.
• Moyua: the most important intermodal connection of the project, connecting with Lines 1 and 2 via a gallery featuring escalators, fixed stairs, and an inclined lift; access is via Bertendona street.
• Zabalburu: north of Plaza Zabalburu, with three accesses to Plaza Zabalburu and Alameda San Mamés, and an elevator around Autonomía street.
• Irala: at a great depth, between 35 and 45 meters, with four accesses on Juan de Garay, Plaza Eskurtze, Avenida Kirikiño, and Avenida Bergara streets.

Surface works will be limited to accesses and emergency exits or ventilation, and pedestrian access will be provided via stairs or elevators.

Budget and execution period

The budget for the execution material of the Information Study is 318,184,103.97 euros. The basic budget for tendering is obtained by adding 19% to the previous amount for General Overheads and Industrial Profits, and adding 21% for VAT; totaling 458,153,291.31 euros. The budget for the administration’s knowledge is 411,909,972.73 euros.

The estimated period for the works is six years, according to the scheduling included in the Information Study.

Public information and environmental assessment

Article 10.5 of the Railway Sector Regulation establishes that the Informative Study must be subject to public information for twenty business days before final approval, in order to allow for allegations regarding the general overview of the layout. The procedure was based on Article 5.5 of Law 38/2015, of September 29, of the Railway Sector and Article 10.5 of Royal Decree 2387/2004, of December 30.

The public information process was carried out through the Resolution of December 4, 2025, published in the BOPV issue of December 23, 2025. During this process, one private allegation and four allegations from public institutions were received and answered.

On July 2, 2026, the Resolution of the Director of Environmental Quality and Circular Economy was approved, formulating the Environmental Impact Statement for the project of Line 4 of the Bilbao Metro.

Impact on Bilbao neighborhoods

The line directly affects the areas of Deustu, Moyua, Zabalburu, Irala, and Rekalde, and will create a connection with Lines 1 and 2 in Moyua, significantly changing the operation of the network. Since the layout passes through high-density urban areas, the design had to meet strict geotechnical and functional conditions.

The six-year execution periods and a tender budget of nearly 458 million euros demonstrate the strategic dimension of the project, both from a mobility perspective and from the perspective of the organization of Bilbao’s urban fabric.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, n.º 190, 5 de octubre de 2026 (referencia oficial: 2026/4105).