Linha do Douro
A passenger train heading to towards
Porto São Bento crossing the Douro River
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerInfraestruturas de Portugal
LocaleDistrito do Porto
Distrito de Vila Real
Distrito de Bragança
Distrito da Guarda
Termini
Stations44 (Ermesinde–Pocinho)
Service
TypeCommuter rail
Regional rail
Operator(s)Comboios de Portugal (passenger)
Medway (freight)
Depot(s)Porto - Contumil
Rolling stockCP 1400
CP 592.0 / 592.2
Medway 1400
Medway 1900
Medway 1960
Medway 335.0
Medway 5600
Medway 4700
History
OpenedStages between 1875 and 1887
Technical
Line length160 km (99 mi)
Number of tracks2 (Ermesinde - Caíde)
1 (Caíde - Pocinho)
Track gauge1,668 mm (5 ft 5+2132 in) Iberian gauge
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE
(Ermesinde to Marco de Canavezes)
Operating speedMaximum 140 km/h (87 mph)
SignallingAutomatic with Orientable Block
(Ermesinde to Caíde)
Telephonic (Caíde to Pocinho)
Douro Line
km
Linha do Minhoto Linha de Leixões
São Gemil junction
008.430
Ermesinde
008.976
15.965
Valongo
25.332
Recarei-Sobreira
30.169
Cête
37.990
Penafiel
46.075
Caíde
50.814
Vila Meã
55.323
Livração
59.954
Marco de Canaveses
64.910
Juncal
72.362
Mosteirô
78.374
Aregos
84.090
Ermida
94.614
Rede
101.815
Godim
103.297
Régua
104.500
112.237
Covelinhas
126.830
Pinhão
139.727
Tua
171.522
Pocinho
199.500
Barca d'Alva
200.100
to La Fuente de San Esteban, Spain
(closed 1985)
Detailed diagram
km
length
in m
São Gemil junction
008.430
Ermesinde
008.976
009.500
Ermesinde-A
10.406
Cabêda
14.300
Suzão
IP4-PT.svgA4-PT.svg IP 4 / A 4
15.965
Valongo
Ferreira River
18.622
São Martinho do Campo
19.346
São Martinho do Campo Terminal
21.815
Terronhas
23.387
Trancoso
25.332
Recarei-Sorbeira
28.170
Parada
30.169
Cête
31.760
Irivo
31.904
Irivo private branch
32.445
33.154
Oleiros
IP4-PT.svgA4-PT.svg IP 4 / A 4
34.940
Paredes
37.400
Santiago
37.990
Penafiel
Penafiel
(original)
40.785
Bustelo
43.057
Meinedo
46.075
Caíde
47.900
Tapada tunnel A11-PT.svg A 11
1,086
48.815
Oliveira
50.814
Vila Meã
IP4-PT.svgA4-PT.svg IP 4 / A 4
50.817
Recesinhos (formerly Castelões)
55.323
Livração
57.801
Gaviarra tunnel
258
58.201
Campainha tunnel
227
59.954
Marco de Canaveses
64.910
Juncal
65.201
Juncal tunnel
1,621
69.851
Pala
72.362
Mosteirô
75.318
Portuzelo
75.700
Aregos-CPE
78.374
Aregos
81.658
Mirão
84.090
Ermida
84.301
Riboura tunnel
120
87.669
Porto Rei
Loureiro tunnel
402
Má Passada tunnel
32
91.412
Barqueiros
94.614
Rede
98.034
Caldas de Moledo
100.101
Santinho tunnel
82
101.815
Godim
(formerly Quatro Caminhos)
102.411
Régua tunnel
342
103.297
Régua
Linha de Lamego to Lamego
(abandoned project)
 N 2  N 2
Corgo Railway Bridge
across the Corgo River
104.500
107.101
Bagaúst tunnele
425
107.595
Milnorte
107.769
Bagaúste
original route
109.001
Pedra Caldeira tunnel
174
112.237
Covelinhas
116.411
Gouvinhas
119.219
Ferrão
123.369
Chanceleiros
126.830
Pinhão
132.321
Cotas
135.186
Castedo
138.428
São Mamede do Tua
139.727
Tua
Rapa tunnel
68
145.136
Alegria
147.001
Valeira tunnel
712
original route
Ferradosa Railway Bridge
across the Douro River
Ferradosa
(original)
150.612
Ferradosa
153.133
Vargelas
153.501
Vargelas
364
154.701
Arnozelo tunnel I
31
155.901
Arnozelo tunnel II
57
156.001
Arnozelo tunnel III
62
158.400
Vesúvio
162.982
Freixo de Numão-Mós do Douro
156.701
Fontainhas tunnel I
162
168.501
Meão
62
168.801
Saião
752
169.701
Vale Meão
91
171.522
Pocinho
Linha do Sabor to Duas Igrejas
107.595
Ramal Pocinho-Quimigal
IP2-PT.svg IP 2
180.600
Côa
Castelo Melhor tunnel
79
187.300
Castelo Melhor
191.800
Almendra
Almendra tunnel
91
199.500
Barca d'Alva
(closed 1988)
191.800
Rio Águeda Railway Bridge
across the Águeda River
Portugal
Spain
200.100
to La Fuente de San Esteban
(closed 1985)
km
length
in m
Key
Iberian gauge
dual gauge
metre gauge (out of use)
Porto Commuter rail
Guimarães
Covas
Nespereira
Caíde
Pereirinhas
Cuca
Vizela
Lordelo
Braga
Giesteira
Ferreiros
Vila das Aves
Mazagão
Caniços
Aveleda
Santo Tirso
Tadim
Ruilhe
Caíde
Arentim
Meinedo
Couto de
Cambeses
Bustelo
Nine
Penafiel
Louro
Paredes
Mouquim
Oleiros
Famalicão
Irivo
Barrimau
Cête
Esmeriz
Parada
Lousado
Recarei-Sobreira
Trofa
Trancoso
Portela
Terronhas
São Romão
São Martinho
do Campo
São Frutuoso
Valongo
Leandro
Suzão
Travagem
Cabeda
Ermesinde
Águas Santas/
Palmiheira
Rio Tinto
Contumil
Porto-Campanhã
General Torres
Porto-São Bento
Vila Nova de Gaia
Coimbrões
Aveiro
Madalena
Cacia
Valadares
Canelas
Francelos
Salreu
Miramar
Estarreja
Aguda
Avanca
Granja
Válega
Espinho
Ovar
Silvalde
Carvalheira-
Maceda
Paramos
Cortegaça
Esmoriz
Legend
Ramal de Braga/Linha do Minho
Linha do Douro
Linha de Guimarães
Linha do Norte
Source: Official site, January 2019
Freight train near Valeira on the Douro line, September 2008
Tua station on the Douro line: a Série 1400 locomotive heading a passenger train (left) passing a freight train headed by a Série 1960 (right)

The Douro line (Portuguese: Linha do Douro) is a 99-mile (160 km) railway line in northern Portugal that runs from Ermesinde to the eastern terminus at Pocinho. The line runs close to the Douro River for much of its route, offering scenic views of the river and valley. Passenger trains are operated by Comboios de Portugal (CP) and run between Porto São Bento and Pocinho, taking 3 hours and 20 minutes. Freight trains operated by Medway also run on the line.

Construction

Section Length Opened
ErmesindePenafiel30.311 kmJuly 29, 1875
Penafiel–Caíde7.328 kmDecember 20, 1875
Caíde–Juncal18.818 kmSeptember 15, 1878
Juncal–Régua38.371 kmJuly 15, 1879
RéguaFerrão15.813 kmApril 4, 1880
Ferrão–Pinhão7.611 kmJune 1, 1880
Pinhão–Tua12.993 kmSeptember 1, 1883
TuaPocinho31.678 kmJanuary 10, 1887
PocinhoCôa9.061 kmMay 5, 1887
CôaBarca d'Alva18.882 kmDecember 9, 1887
Continuation to La Fuente de San Esteban Barca d'Alva–La Fuente de San Esteban railwayDecember 9, 1887

Route

From west to east, the line runs from the junction at Ermesinde to Pocinho. The line formerly continued east for a further 28 kilometres to the Spanish border. Until 1984, the track connected to a Spanish line, thus allowing through trains to/from Salamanca.

Passenger trains normally run from São Bento station in Porto to Pocinho, with some not running as far as the eastern terminus. The line is built to the Iberian gauge of 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+2132 in). The line is single track, apart from a double track section between Ermesinde and Valongo (the authorisation for the dualling work was given by CP in 1993).[1]

In 1984, the Spanish rail operator RENFE announced the closure of its connecting line from La Fuente de San Esteban to the Portuguese border. With the loss of international traffic, CP had to close its line east of Barca d'Alva to Spain. The service was cut back to Pocinho in 1988, which has since remained the eastern terminus of the Douro line.[2]

As of May 2023, there are intentions to reactivate the extension from Pocinho to the border town of Barca d'Alva, with a preliminary study commissioned on May 10th.[3] (in Portuguese)

Branch lines

There were formerly five metre gauge branch lines connecting with the Douro line, but the last of these closed in 2009. Geographically, from west to east they were:

  • The Penafiel to Lixa and Entre-os-Rios Railway, which closed in the 1920s after less than 20 years of service
  • The Tâmega line, which closed in 2009 and ran north from a junction with Douro line at Livração
  • The Corgo line, which closed in 2009 and ran north from a junction with Douro line at Regua
  • The Tua line, which closed in 2008 and ran north from a junction with Douro line at Tua
  • The Sabor line, which closed in 1988 and ran north-east from a junction with Douro line at Pocinho

See also

References

  1. "Cronologia: 1844/1874 - Desde o Projecto até ao Fim do 3º Quartel do Séc. XIX". CP (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on October 6, 2014.
  2. "História da linha do Douro". A linha do Douro (in Portuguese). September 1989.
  3. "Governo avança com modernização do troço ferroviário Marco e Régua, na Linha do Douro".

Sources

  • "2019 Network Statement" (PDF). 7 December 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2019. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.