The Euroregion Nouvelle-Aquitaine–Euskadi–Navarre faces high levels of cross-border travel for employment, education, services and tourism, yet more than 90% of these journeys have historically relied on private cars. Public transport systems on both sides of the border operate separately, with different operators, tariff systems, timetables and languages and without shared passenger information. These gaps limited the accessibility of sustainable mobility options and hindered everyday cross-border life.
WHAT
Four projects (TRANSFERMUGA, TRANSFERMUGA 2, TRANSFERMUGA-RREIKN and TRANSFERMUGI) have been or are currently being implemented to improve access to public transport, promote multimodal travel and reduce dependency on private vehicles by providing integrated information and supporting cooperation among transport actors. The projects were launched sequentially in 2012 and are ongoing until today.
The projects have progressively expanded in objectives and budget to develop integrated transport systems. The first project (2012-2013) established an initial cross-border mobility diagnosis, that revealed the dominance of car travel and lack of integrated public transport information. It developed the first multilingual platform centralising schedules and multimodal travel information for the Euroregion. The second project (2015-2018) expanded the digital tool, improved data quality, extended the information to wider modes (rail, bus, airports, active mobility) and supported targeted improvements in station information and service coordination. The third project (2019-2022) deepened cross-border coordination and launched feasibility studies on joint ticketing, intermodality and cross-border rail-service planning. It reinforced structured cooperation between authorities and technical teams and prepared options for long-term mobility integration. The fourth and ongoing project (2025-2028) focuses specifically on improved mobility integration in Basque territories and links to the French Basque Country, strengthening multimodal coordination between Euskotren and regional bus systems and continuing the evolution of user-oriented digital tools to support seamless cross-border journeys.
WHO
The TRANSFERMUGA projects have been / are implemented by the GECT Eurorégion Aquitaine Euskadi Navarre (ES). Partners in the various phases include Euskotren (ES), Agence d'Urbanisme Atlantique & Pyrénées (AUDAP) (FR), Instituto Vasco de Logística y Movilidad Sostenible (ES), Syndicat des mobilités Pays Basque – Adour (FR), Euskal Trenbide Sarea / Red Ferroviaria Vasca (ES) and SNCF Mobilités (FR).
WHERE
The TRANSFERMUGA projects are implemented in the France-Spain border area and in specific in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine – Euskadi – Navarre Euroregion.
HOW
The total budget of the four projects amounts to approximately EUR 11 million, with approximately EUR 7,15 million (65% co-financing rate) being funded by the ERDF through the Interreg POCTEFA programme.
RESULTS
Key achievements include:
- The development of a route planner that allows for cross-border multimodal transport planning (public transport, bicycle, walking), covering Nouvelle Aquitaine, Basque Country and Navarre. The route planner offers information on points of interest, an interactive map of Cultural and Leisure offerings in the region, and a mobile app.
- The creation of a cross-border bus line, Line 15 Txik Txak, that connects the Ehpad district in Hendaye (France) with Plaza San Juan in Irun (Spain). This line operates in complementarity to the existing Line 14 connecting the two cities but following a different route.
- A notable increase in public transport ridership from 705,096 passengers in 2019 to 967,227 in 2024.
You can visit the project website here.
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