Portugal - Older General Information

Introduction

This document acts as an archive for Recent and Future Changes prior to 2019.

Recent and Future Changes (most recent entries at top)

Recent Changes (Latest First)

The Metropolitano Ligeiro de Mirandela ceased their operations on the Carvalhais - Mirandela - Cachão section on 17 December 2018 (last trains 14 December). This was allegedly for engineering work to provide a tourist service which would reopen further south from Cachão to a reservoir at Brunheda. However, there has been no sign of any reinstatement and this line must now be considered permanently closed.

Caíde – Marco de Canaveses (Porto – Régua route) was electrified by 2017.

From 29 August 2017 passenger service (a daily round trip) was reinstated between [Entroncamento - Torre das Vargens - Portalegre - ] Elvas and Badajoz (Spain), previously closed in 2012. Entroncamento - Torre das Vargens - Portalegre reopened on 25 September 2015 for what was described at the time as a six month experimental service.

On 1 November 2013, passenger services were withdrawn on the Linha do Vouga between Oliveira de Azeméis and Sernada do Vouga owing to the poor track condition. This split the Aveiro - Sernada do Vouga - Espinho line into two sections: Aveiro - Sernada do Vouga and Espinho - Oliveira de Azeméis. The missing section was covered by a taxi service, although the line was used occasionally by empty trains to and from the depot and works at Sernada do Vouga.

From 8 September 2013 through to 11 July 2020, all trains north of Leiria ran to/from Coimbra B, with connections for Figueira da Foz at Verride; during this period, the Amieira - Bifurcação de Lares curve had no passenger service.

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 sole remaining service - 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 the Ramal da Lousã (Coimbra - Serpins) was closed and the track lifted, for conversion to metro operation (Metro Mondego). This project was subsequently abandoned and in February 2019 a so-called "metro bus" model based on electric buses was confirmed.

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 25 March 2009.
• Linha do Tâmega (Livracao - Amarante): replaced by buses since 25 March 2009
• Ramal da Figueira da Foz (Figueira da Foz - Pampilhosa): replaced by buses since 05 January 2009.

From 11 December 2011 Intercity trains on the Linha do Sul (Lisboa to Faro) ceased running via Setúbal or Alcácer do Sal, and started using the cutoff bypassing Alcácer do Sal. Regional trains between Setúbal and Tunes ceased from the same day, so that both Setúbal - Águas de Moura and the old Linha do Sul main line through Alcácer do Sal lost their service. The cutoff, bypassing 35 km of the Linha do Sul round Alcácer do Sal, opened to regular traffic on 12 December 2010 when the Regional trains between Setúbal and Tunes started using it. However, its first use was on 28 October 2010, after a freight train derailment three days earlier had damaged several km of track.

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.

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

In 2008, Espinho station was rebuilt underground, and the narrow gauge Vouga line was cut back to terminate at Espinho-Vouga.