Dão line

The Linha do Dão was a Portuguese railway meter gauge, which connected the town of Santa Comba Dão and Viseu each other. The national railway company Caminhos -de- ferro portugueses (CP ) completed the route for the passenger transport for economic reasons in 1988, the freight was discontinued in 1972. The line starts in Santa Comba Dão, the Linha da Beira Alta, and in parallel to river Dão up to Viseu. There she meets the Linha do Vouga also decommissioned.

History

The Linha do Dão was one of the first rail routes with a metric width of 1000 mm in Portugal. It was put into operation on 25 November 1890 and was the first railway to Viseu, many years before the connection via the Linha do Vouga or the from there branching Ramal de Viseu. The construction company Companhia Nacional de Caminhos de Ferro ( CN), was also responsible for the construction of the Linha do Tua, which was inaugurated in 1887.

In 1988 the route was set together with many other Portuguese branch lines of the national railway company for economic reasons. Between 1997 and 1999, most of the Linha do Dão rails have been removed. The train station of Viseu has now been demolished. Due to the closure of the Linha do Dão and the leading also to Viseu Viseu Linha do Vouga applies with 50,000 inhabitants, as the largest continental European city without a rail connection.

Parts of the former rail line have now been to a bike trail ( " Ciclovia " / " Ecopistas " ) redesigned. In Torredeita is remembered by an exhibition of old steam locomotives to the previous operation of the Linha do Dão.