Border Crossings: Portugal - Spain

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All rail routes between this pair of countries are 1668mm gauge.

(Porto -) Valença do Minho CP - Tui RENFE (- Vigo)

[ED] The change of voltage is at Valença do Minho. The line on the Portuguese side is electrified at 25kV AC, being officially inaugurated on 29 April 2021. That on the Spanish side will be at 3kV.

Two Trencelta limited stop pairs run between Porto and Vigo, operated by CP, although they are susceptible to cancellation owing to rolling stock shortages. Prior to the covid outbreak there were two RENFE regional passenger trains between Valença do Minho and Vigo, which ran via Guillarei and the curve to Tui. However, they remain suspended as at July 2023.

(Porto - Pocinho -) Barca de Alva CP - Fregeneda RENFE (- Salamanca)

[D] Line closed. RENFE worked to Barca de Alva until the service was withdrawn from 1 January 1985. CP services ceased in 1988. A plan to reopen Pocinho to Barca de Alva for tourist traffic, especially to the Coa Valley Archaeological Park, a World Heritage Site, came to nothing.

(Pampilhosa -) Vilar Formoso CP - Fuentes de Oñoro RENFE (- Salamanca)

[ED] RENFE operates to Vilar Formoso. Electrification at 25 kV 50 Hz between Salamanca and Vilar Formoso is planned to be completed in 2022.
The combined Sud Express and Lusitania Trenhotel to Lisboa was suspended on presumably 15 March 2020, when the national lockdown in Spain started, and have never been reinstated. This was the only passenger train on this line.

(Entroncamento -) Marvāo Beirã CP - Valencia do Alcántara RENFE (- Cáceres)

[D] Line closed. CP worked to Valencia do Alcántara. All through freight traffic was discontinued on 5 February 2012. The Lusitania (Lisboa - Madrid sleeping car train) was rerouted from 15 August 2012, thereby closing the line. Track survives westwards from Valencia station and RENFE staff consider that the line could still be used in an emergency. On the Portuguese side, however, REFER has deleted the line from their list of railways.

(Entroncamento -) Elvas CP - Badajoz RENFE

[D] CP works to Badajoz. The daily passenger service was withdrawn on 5 June 2004, reinstated on 13 December 2009 and closed again when the entire Torre das Vargens - Elvas - Badajoz passenger service was withdrawn on 1 January 2012. Entroncamento to Portalegre reopened on 25 September 2015 for what was described as a six month experimental service. In January 2016 a bill to reinstate trains to Badajoz was accepted unanimously by the Portuguese parliament and a service reintroduced on 29 August 2017.

A new line for freight between Évora and a triangular junction east of Elvas, for traffic from the port of Sines, is almost complete as at July 2023. It is possible that a passenger service will start in 2024.

See also