Portugal - General Information: Difference between revisions

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The Light Rail Transit Association's publication, ''The Tramways of Portugal'' can still be recommended (despite being somewhat dated, its fourth edition having been published in 1995).
The Light Rail Transit Association's publication, ''The Tramways of Portugal'' can still be recommended (despite being somewhat dated, its fourth edition having been published in 1995).


==Recent and Future Changes==
==Recent and Future Changes ''(most recent entries at top)''==
Work is to (re)start on rehabilitation and electrification of the Guarda – Covilhã section of the Beira Baixa route, disused since 2009, to be completed by mid-2019. This will include the Beiras Link, a new 1.5 km curve to the Vilar Formoso (- Spain) line at Galegos, south of Guarda.
'''Electrification''': Caíde – Marco de Canaveses (Porto – Régua route) was due for completion in 2017, and Nine - Valença for completion by the end of 2019. It is planned that Tunes – Lagos and Faro – Vila Real de Santo António sections would be electrified by the fourth quarter of 2020. Work is to (re)start on rehabilitation and electrification of the Guarda – Covilhã section of the Beira Baixa route, disused since 2009, to be completed by mid-2019. This will include the Beiras Link, a new 1.5 km curve to the Vilar Formoso (- Spain) line at Galegos, south of Guarda.


It is planned that the 46 km Tunes – Lagos and 56 km Faro – Vila Real de Santo António sections would be electrified by the fourth quarter of 2020.
From 29 August 2017 passenger service (a daily round trip) was reinstated between [Entroncamento - Torre das Vargens - Portalegre - ] Elvas - Badajoz (Spain) - previously closed in 2012 (see below).


Entroncamento to Portalegre on the Linha do Leste reopened on 25 September 2015 for what was described as a six month experimental service. In January 2016 a bill to reinstate trains to Elvas and Badajoz (Spain) was accepted unanimously by the Portuguese parliament and a service was reintroduced from 29 August 2017.
From 25 September 2015 Entroncamento - Torre das Vargens - Portalegre reopened for what was described as a six month experimental service (service subsequently extended to Badajoz (Spain) in 2017 - see above).  


The last remaining sections of the former Tua - Bragança metre gauge line, from Mirandela - the 4.1 km "Mirandela Metro" to Carvalhais and the 12.3 km CP service to Cachão, suspended on 7 May 2016 owing to withdrawal of subsidy, were operating again by August 2016. However, the associated CP timetabled "taxi minibus" from Tua seems to have been withdrawn permanently, and it is reported that a new operator may take over the rail services in 2017.  
From 1 November 2013, the Aveiro - Sernada do Vouga - Espinho metre gauge line [https://www.cp.pt/StaticFiles/timetables/aveiro-vouga-espinho-regional-trains.pdf (timetable)] was split into two sections  (Aveiro - Sernada do Vouga, and Espinho - Oliveira de Azeméis). From that date the section between Sernada do Vouga and Oliveira de Azeméis has been subject to a severe speed restriction and is covered by CP taxi service twice daily (although empty movements can still reach the line's depot at Sernada do Vouga).


Work has started on electrification of Caíde – Marco de Canaveses (Porto – Régua route), due for completion in 2017, and Nine - Valença, due for completion by the end of 2019. Joint funding with the Spanish for upgrading Porto – Vigo may be agreed in summer 2016.  
From September 2013 all trains north of Leiria have run to/from Coimbra B, with connections for Figueira da Foz at Verride; in consequence, the Amieira - Bifurcação de Lares curve lost its passenger service from this date.


The Aveiro to Espinho via Sernada do Vouga narrow gauge line was expected to close at the end of January 2012. However, services continue as at January 2017 to the timetable effective from 1 November 2015, except for Oliveira de Azeméis - Sernada do Vouga [now operated by CP taxis twice a day], which has been suspended since 1 November 2013. This followed REFER imposing severe speed restrictions of 10 km/h on this section and of 20 Km/h on the Aveiro line between Águeda and Sernada do Vouga, where services were also bus replaced. Águeda - Sernada do Vouga has been repaired and train services resumed. The depot is located at Sernada do Vouga.
From 15 August 2012 the Ramal de Cáceres (Torre das Vargens - Marvāo Beirã - Valencia do Alcántara (Spain) - Cáceres) closed to all traffic (also resulting in passenger service withdrawal between Entroncamento and Torre das Vargens). The ''Lusitania'' (Lisboa - Madrid sleeping car train) was rerouted via the more northerly Vilar Formoso - Fuentes de Oñoro (Spain) border crossing. Through freight traffic had been discontinued on 5 February 2012.


Amieira to Caldas da Rainha was expected to close at the end of January 2012 but still features in the timetable effective from 13 December 2015. All trains north of Leiria run to/from Coimbra B. The Amieira - Bifurcação de Lares curve thus lost its service in September 2013.
In March 2012 the government confirmed its decision to suspend construction of the 167 km section from Poceirão to Caia (Spanish border) of the Lisboa - Madrid high speed line. The first phase - from Lisboa to Poceirao, including the new Tagus bridge - had already been cancelled.  In December 2014 the Court of Auditors declared that the entire TGV project was not viable. The proposed line between Lisboa and Madrid was deemed particularly unprofitable.


The Ramal de Cáceres (Torre das Vargens - Marvāo Beirã CP - Valencia do Alcántara RENFE - Cáceres) closed to all traffic on 15 August 2012. The Lusitania (Lisboa - Madrid sleeping car train) was rerouted via the Vilar Formoso CP - Fuentes de Oñoro RENFE border crossing. All through freight traffic was discontinued on 5 February 2012.
From 4 January 2012 Ramal da Lousã (Coimbra - Serpins) was closed and the track lifted, for conversion to metro operation (Metro Mondego) - a project which has since been abandoned.


Torre das Vargens - Elvas - Badajoz RENFE and Beja - Funcheira closed to pasengers on 1 January 2012.
From 1 January 2012 Torre das Vargens - Elvas - Badajoz (Spain) and Beja - Funcheira closed to passengers, although the former reopened again from 29 August 2017.


CP published official closure notices from 1st January 2012 for:
From 1 January 2012 CP published official closure notices for the following lines, which had long been replaced by buses:
*The Linha do Corgo (Regua - Vila Real): replaced by buses since February 2009
* Linha do Corgo (Regua - Vila Real): replaced by buses since February 2009
*The Linha do Tâmega (Livracao - Amarante): replaced by buses since February 2009
* Linha do Tâmega (Livracao - Amarante): replaced by buses since February 2009
*Ramal da Figueira da Foz (Figueira da Foz - Pampilhosa): replaced by buses since 2009 (reinstatement work - if it ever started - had stopped on this line)
* Ramal da Figueira da Foz (Figueira da Foz - Pampilhosa): replaced by buses since 2009  


Intercity trains on the Linha do Sul (Lisboa to Faro) ceased running via Setúbal or Alcácer do Sal from 11 December 2011 and regional trains between Setúbal and Tunes ceased on the same day. The old Linha do Sul main line through Alcácer do Sal therefore lost its service with everything running via the new cutoff.
From 11 December 2011 Intercity trains on the Linha do Sul (Lisboa to Faro) ceased running via Setúbal or Alcácer do Sal, while regional trains between Setúbal and Tunes ceased from the same day. Thus, the old Linha do Sul main line through Alcácer do Sal lost its service with all trains running via the new (December 2010) cutoff.


Coimbra - Serpins (Ramal da Lousã) was closed on 4 January 2010 and the track lifted, for conversion to metro operation (Metro Mondego). This project has now been abandoned; it will allegedly be re-opened as an Iberian gauge line although it is now unlikely this will occur.
From 1 October 2011 an ‘experimental’ resumption of passenger service between Setil and Coruche was withdrawn again owing to lack of demand.


Services between Lisboa and Evora restarted on 25 July 2011 after upgrading and electrification.
From 25 July 2011 services between Lisboa and Evora were resumed after upgrading and electrification.


Setil Coruche: an ‘experimental’ passenger rail service was withdrawn from 1 October 2011 owing to lack of demand.
From 1 February 2011 Ermesinde – Leça do Balio was closed to passengers. The Leixões branch had previously closed to passengers in 1987, but Ermesinde Leça do Balio reopened in 2009, with the remainder to Leixões to follow. Poor passenger loadings and a much more direct service by Metro led to abandonment of the whole scheme and this (re-)closure of the first section.


Ermesinde – Leça do Balio. The Leixões branch closed to passengers in 1987. Ermesinde (not Contumil) – Leça reopened in 2009 and the remainder to Leixões was to follow. However, poor passenger loadings and a much more direct service to the centre of Porto by Metro led to closure on 1 February 2011.
In December 2010 a cutoff bypassing 35 km of the Linha do Sul (Lisboa - Tunes) round Alcácer do Sal was opened (see also 11 December 2011).


A cutoff bypassing 35 km of the Linha do Sul (Lisboa - Tunes) round Alcácer do Sal was opened in December 2010.
On 16 August 2010 a new 3 km line (variante Trofa), bypassing the old Trofa station, was opened, whereupon the old line closed.


The Covilhã – Guarda section of the Beira Baixa line fell out of use in 2009; it is not known exactly when passenger services ceased.
In 2009 the Covilhã – Guarda section of the Beira Baixa line fell out of use - it is not known exactly when passenger services ceased - but restoration of service is promised by 2019 (see above).
 
Considerable upgrading work (in many cases with electrification) has been undertaken on main lines in recent years - including a new route to the Algarve via the Ponte de 25 Abril bridge (opened 1999) over the Tagus in Lisboa. However, in March 2012 the government confirmed its decision taken in June 2011 to suspend construction of the 167 km section from Poceirão to Caia (Spanish border) of the Lisboa - Madrid high speed line. The first phase - from Lisboa to Poceirao, including the new Tagus bridge - had already been cancelled.  In December 2014 the Court of Auditors declared that the entire TGV project was not viable. The proposed line between Lisboa and Madrid was deemed particularly unprofitable.
 
As well as converting former CP metre gauge lines in Porto to be part of a standard (1435mm) gauge Metro system or to broad gauge (Guimarães branch), broad gauge lines radiating from that city have been electrified for various distances. A new 3 km line (variante Trofa ) bypassing the old Trofa station opened on 16 August 2010, whereupon the old line closed.
 
A new 9km freight line serving Aveiro docks opened in 2010 and was electrified in 2015.


==Special Notes==
==Special Notes==

Revision as of 16:23, 17 November 2017

Country Name

Portugal (Portugal)

National Railway System

National Railway Operator

Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses, the former national operator CP, has been broken down into separate elements.

The passenger operation is now CP Comboios de Portugal, a government owned companny, currently organised into three business units. • Urban trains - Lisboa, Porto and Coimbra; • Alfa Pendular, Intercidades and International trains; • Regional and InterRegional trains

The freight operation, CP Carga, was sold as a condition of Portugal's bailout by the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund; in January 2016 it was acquired by MSC Rail, a subsidiary of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).

Language

Portuguese.

Currency

Euro.

UIC code

numeric 94; alpha P.

Timetable

Journey Planner

Train times

Downloadable Timetable

Printed Timetable

None issued. Leaflets are available for Alfa Pendular / Intercidades (InterCity) and for suburban services around Lisboa and Porto. Fertagus issue their own timetable booklet. No printed material appears to be available for Regional services, only timetable board display posters; travellers by such services would be well advised to make their own print outs of the relevant web pages (which are the display posters).

Engineering Information

Alerts

Maps

Printed Maps

  • European Railway Atlas: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece by M.G. Ball (1991) (ISBN 0-7110-2087-6)
  • European Railway Atlas by M.G. Ball (2008 onwards)
  • Quail Map Company's Portugal Railway Map (third edition) was published in 2010.

Web-based Maps

Ticketing

CP's tickets page - but see also discounts

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

Railway infrastructure is owned and maintained by Infraestruturas de Portugal - a merger of rail and road infrastructure authorities in 2015. The rail element is Rede Ferroviária Nacional (REFER)

Network Statement

The Diretório da Rede (Network Statement) page provides links to the Network Statements, in Portuguese and English.

Gauge

1668mm. The Aveiro – Sernada do Vouga – Espinho and Cachão – Mirandela - Carvalhais lines are metre gauge.

Electrification

25 kV 50 Hz, except for the former Estoril Railway from Lisboa Cais do Sodré to Cascais which is 1500V dc

Rule of the road

Left

Distances

In REFER's Network Statement:

  • Annex 3.1 gives overall distances by Line
  • Annex 3.3.1.1 gives more detailed distances between significant stations.

Private Railways

  • Sociedade Metropolitano Ligeiro de Mirandela (90% owned by town council, 10% by CP): Metropolitano Ligeiro de Mirandela: operates over two short sections of the metre gauge line which formerly linked Tua and Bragança:

Mirandela Piaget - Carvalhais (4.1km) Urbano

Mirandela Piaget - Cachão (12.3 km) Regional (operated on behalf of CP, operating on REFER infrastructure with timings appearing in CP Journey planner)

  • Travessia do Tejo, Transportes SA: Fertagus: (Lisboa) Roma-Areeiro - Campolide - (over Ponte 25 de Abril {25th April Bridge}) - Pragal - Pinhal Novo - Setúbal. Operates daily (operating on REFER infrastructure)

Tourist Lines

  • Eléctrico de Sintra: (Metre gauge): Sintra to Praia das Maçãs (11 km). Operated by Sintra town council: services approximately hourly daily in summer; two round trips Wednesdays to Sundays in winter (follow Horário e preços link from council's webpage). Sintra terminus is in front of Vila Alda, close to the Museu de Arte Moderna in the Estefânea district - 8 mins walk from CP station. Information on this tramway in English
  • Transpraia: (600mm gauge): Costa de Caparica - Fonte da Telha (7 km). Operated by Transportes Recreativos da Praia do Sol, Lda. daily, June to September.
  • Praia do Barril railway: (600mm gauge): Pedras d'el Rei - Praia do Barril (beach) (1 km); operates frequently, during summer.
  • Tourist operator Douro Azul announced in Spring 2017 that it was to run a tourist operation - as part of a rail/river/bus trip between Mirandela and Tua - using that section of the former Tua - Bragança metre gauge line between Mirandela, Cachão and Brunheda (33 km). Although forecast to start in June 2017, no details for the new service appeared on the Douro Azul website in 2017.

Metros

Lisboa; Porto; Sul do Tejo.

A track plan for the Metro Sul do Tejo is available on the Gleisplanweb site.

Trams

Lisboa (five routes); Porto (three routes); Sintra (see Tourist Lines, above). The Lisboa system contains the steepest adhesion worked tram tracks in the world, a gradient of 15% on route 28 on the west side of the city.

Track plans for all tram systems in Portugal are available on the Gleisplanweb site.

See also Portugal - Tram services over obscure routes

The Light Rail Transit Association's publication, The Tramways of Portugal can still be recommended (despite being somewhat dated, its fourth edition having been published in 1995).

Recent and Future Changes (most recent entries at top)

Electrification: Caíde – Marco de Canaveses (Porto – Régua route) was due for completion in 2017, and Nine - Valença for completion by the end of 2019. It is planned that Tunes – Lagos and Faro – Vila Real de Santo António sections would be electrified by the fourth quarter of 2020. Work is to (re)start on rehabilitation and electrification of the Guarda – Covilhã section of the Beira Baixa route, disused since 2009, to be completed by mid-2019. This will include the Beiras Link, a new 1.5 km curve to the Vilar Formoso (- Spain) line at Galegos, south of Guarda.

From 29 August 2017 passenger service (a daily round trip) was reinstated between [Entroncamento - Torre das Vargens - Portalegre - ] Elvas - Badajoz (Spain) - previously closed in 2012 (see below).

From 25 September 2015 Entroncamento - Torre das Vargens - Portalegre reopened for what was described as a six month experimental service (service subsequently extended to Badajoz (Spain) in 2017 - see above).

From 1 November 2013, the Aveiro - Sernada do Vouga - Espinho metre gauge line (timetable) was split into two sections (Aveiro - Sernada do Vouga, and Espinho - Oliveira de Azeméis). From that date the section between Sernada do Vouga and Oliveira de Azeméis has been subject to a severe speed restriction and is covered by CP taxi service twice daily (although empty movements can still reach the line's depot at Sernada do Vouga).

From September 2013 all trains north of Leiria have run to/from Coimbra B, with connections for Figueira da Foz at Verride; in consequence, the Amieira - Bifurcação de Lares curve lost its passenger service from this date.

From 15 August 2012 the Ramal de Cáceres (Torre das Vargens - Marvāo Beirã - Valencia do Alcántara (Spain) - Cáceres) closed to all traffic (also resulting in passenger service withdrawal between Entroncamento and Torre das Vargens). The Lusitania (Lisboa - Madrid sleeping car train) was rerouted via the more northerly Vilar Formoso - Fuentes de Oñoro (Spain) border crossing. Through freight traffic had been discontinued on 5 February 2012.

In March 2012 the government confirmed its decision to suspend construction of the 167 km section from Poceirão to Caia (Spanish border) of the Lisboa - Madrid high speed line. The first phase - from Lisboa to Poceirao, including the new Tagus bridge - had already been cancelled. In December 2014 the Court of Auditors declared that the entire TGV project was not viable. The proposed line between Lisboa and Madrid was deemed particularly unprofitable.

From 4 January 2012 Ramal da Lousã (Coimbra - Serpins) was closed and the track lifted, for conversion to metro operation (Metro Mondego) - a project which has since been abandoned.

From 1 January 2012 Torre das Vargens - Elvas - Badajoz (Spain) and Beja - Funcheira closed to passengers, although the former reopened again from 29 August 2017.

From 1 January 2012 CP published official closure notices for the following lines, which had long been replaced by buses:

  • Linha do Corgo (Regua - Vila Real): replaced by buses since February 2009
  • Linha do Tâmega (Livracao - Amarante): replaced by buses since February 2009
  • Ramal da Figueira da Foz (Figueira da Foz - Pampilhosa): replaced by buses since 2009

From 11 December 2011 Intercity trains on the Linha do Sul (Lisboa to Faro) ceased running via Setúbal or Alcácer do Sal, while regional trains between Setúbal and Tunes ceased from the same day. Thus, the old Linha do Sul main line through Alcácer do Sal lost its service with all trains running via the new (December 2010) cutoff.

From 1 October 2011 an ‘experimental’ resumption of passenger service between Setil and Coruche was withdrawn again owing to lack of demand.

From 25 July 2011 services between Lisboa and Evora were resumed after upgrading and electrification.

From 1 February 2011 Ermesinde – Leça do Balio was closed to passengers. The Leixões branch had previously closed to passengers in 1987, but Ermesinde – Leça do Balio reopened in 2009, with the remainder to Leixões to follow. Poor passenger loadings and a much more direct service by Metro led to abandonment of the whole scheme and this (re-)closure of the first section.

In December 2010 a cutoff bypassing 35 km of the Linha do Sul (Lisboa - Tunes) round Alcácer do Sal was opened (see also 11 December 2011).

On 16 August 2010 a new 3 km line (variante Trofa), bypassing the old Trofa station, was opened, whereupon the old line closed.

In 2009 the Covilhã – Guarda section of the Beira Baixa line fell out of use - it is not known exactly when passenger services ceased - but restoration of service is promised by 2019 (see above).

Special Notes

Cascais (Estoril Railway) is now almost certainly the westernmost railhead in Europe (Valentia Harbour in Ireland held that honour until closure in 1960).

Timetable direction contains a trap for the unwary: circulaçoes ascendentes (which one might translate as "up trains") are travelling away from the major terminal (and thus the opposite of most British practice); such trains carry odd numbers (equivalent of French impair).

Ramal = branch line; conc. (concordancia) = chord or connection; ap. (apeadeiro) = halt; bif. (bifurcação) = junction.

See also