The Abando Indalecio Prieto Train Station, also traditionally known as Estación del Norte, is the main railway station in the city of Bilbao. It is located in the heart of the city, specifically in the Plaza Circular of Bilbao in the Abando. It has A classicist-style, it was inaugurated in 1870 and designed by Alfonso Fungairiño. Inside, there is a large polychrome stained glass window which was made by the Unión de Artistas Vidrieros de Irún and is an important symbol of the city.
The railway reached Bilbao on 1st March 1863 with the opening of the Bilbao-Orduña section of the railway. The company in charge of the works was known as Compañía del Ferrocarril de Tudela a Bilbao. The company's chief engineer was Charles Blacker Vignoles, who designed the station in a clearly English style. In 1865, the company went broke and the station was taken over by the Bank of Bilbao. Then, in 1878, it was taken over by Norte, which kept the ownership of the station until the nationalisation of the railway in Spain in 1941 and the creation of RENFE.
Several years later, RENFE decided to build a new station of greater proportions which, after several failed projects, was finally completed by the architect Alfonso Fungairiño. To do so, the old premises were demolished and the existing site was used for the new facilities, which were opened to the public in 1948. After floods the city suffered in 1983, a major restructuring was done to the station, by the addition of elevators and sculptures made by Agustín Ibarrola for instance. Incidentally, in 1996, Bilbao-Abando was the first station to have shops and restaurants, something that was later extended to more Spanish stations.
Nowadays, The Abando Indalecio Prieto Train Station is one of the two terminals in the town with medium and long-distance rail services operated by Renfe, which connect the city with other Spanish towns. Moreover, due to its location, the building and its surroundings have evolved to become an intermodal station over the years. For this reason, lots of different means of transport converge there, including the underground, some Renfe Feve lines as well as with the city tram. It also has a car park, its own taxi rank and several city and provincial bus stops.
The station is owned by Adif, which is run by the Ministry of Public Works of the Spanish Government. On 28 February 2017, the Ministry and the Basque Government signed an agreement for the definitive access of the high-speed railway to the three Basque capitals, which contemplates the full integration of the infrastructures in the cities. As a result, Abando Indalecio Prieto will be completely buried and remodelled for the purpose of its connection with the Basque Y. This remodalation work has started this year and will last until 2027.
Although you aren’t travelling by train, we recommend you go inside the station and see the polychromatic stained glass window and the sculptures. Besides, you can pay for a train ticket and go to one of the city’s surrounding areas. For example, you can go to Portugalete and visit “El Puente Colgante” and go for a walk along the coast.