La Unión, a company with history
On 15th November 1924, Miguel Acha Eguileor and Martin Inchaurbe Aldecoa, neighbours of Orozco, agreed to create, under the company name “Acha Inchaurbe” – with the authority to make use of the denomination “La Unión Servicio de Automoviles” -, a company whose objective was to transport passengers and merchandise between Bilbo/Bilbao and Vitoria/Gasteiz.
The share capital consisted of 80,000 pesetas, represented by the assets provided by both partners, consisting of: three Saurer buses, registration numbers VI 346, VI 366, VI 406, two Hispano Swiss buses, registration numbers VI 213, B 3805 and a repair workshop in Vitoria/Gasteiz C/Fueros no. 7.
Years later, on 22nd December 1933, the company Acha Inchaurbe y Compañia Limitada was constituted, giving way to new partners in Cia. Automóviles de Alava, who gave up their rights to the route Bilbo/Bilbao-Vitoria/Gasteiz via Murgia.
On 1st February 1957 the previous limited company transformed into “Acha Inchaurbe y Compañia, Sociedad Anonima”, being able to use the denomination “La Union” transforming the participations of the limited company into shares in the limited liability company.
At the present time, having more than 60 employees with wide experience in the sector for road passenger transport and a modern fleet with over 50 vehicles, Autobuses La Unión, S.A. has its head office in the town of Lutxana-Erandio in Biscay, from where they develop and coordinate the strategic planning of the company.
La Burundesa
In the year 1925 in the Navarrese town of Urdiain, covering the route linking Alsasua with Pamplona/Iruña, the bus company La Burundesa was founded, making reference to the Burunda Valley, from where they operated.
The next route of La Burundesa joined Pamplona/Iruña with Vitoria/Gasteiz and later they inaugurated the route Pamplona/Iruña-Vitoria/Gasteiz-Bilbo/Bilbao, with a layover in the Alava capital, commonly denominated by passengers as “La Bilbaína”.
In 1955 this same route, but directly through the Dima Pass, which took three and a half hours to cover, was to be exploited jointly by La Unión and La Burundesa, the start of a unique twinning partnership in the sector.
La Burundesa currently has a fleet of 50 perfectly equipped vehicles and a team of 70 professionals available to offer our passengers the most comfortable and safest travel.
The verbal agreement of cooperation, sealed by a handshake, with the passing of time, was to culminate in the purchase by La Unión in 2003 of the majority shareholding of La Burundesa, keeping the independence and inter-relationship of both companies.