Douro railway line

The Linha do Douro to German main line of the Douro is a Portuguese railway line which formerly connected the city with Barca d' Alva Porto. The total length was 200 kilometers. Since a set-aside in 1988, the operation ends already approximately 30 km from the border with Spain on Pocinho station. The line runs mostly on the banks of the River Douro and along with it, the longest rail route is Portugal, which runs along a river.

History

The construction of the Linha do Douro in 1873, first started from Porto to pinhão station because of this had to be transported as a basis of port wine to Vila Nova de Gaia large quantities of wine. Only later the route was continued to the Spanish border. 1879 line up Régua, where the narrow gauge line Linha do corgo begins to Vila Real was completed. Only in 1883 the extension of the route was decided to Spain and completed in 1887.

The Linha do Douro is still the most straightforward and quickest route from Porto to Spain and France. In 1985, the Spanish state railway, the Spanish connection piece between the stations of La Fuente de San Esteban and Barca d' Alva Boadilla silent for reasons of profitability. Now lacked the operational port and as a consequence, also the passengers, put the Portuguese state railway operating between 1988 to Barca d' Alva Pocinho also a. Since then runs the rail only to Pocinho.

Meanwhile renovated and restored the infrastructure manager of the Portuguese rail network, REFER most of the Linha do Douro. By Marco de Canaveses drive suburban trains of CP Urbanos' do Porto in dense clock. Until Caíde de Rei, there are now an electrified track, the rest is still operated with diesel. 2015, the route will be electrified by Marco de Canaveses medium term a complete electrification to Régua is planned.

For several years, the CP from May to October historic special trains between Porto and Régua to. 2009 used a total of more than 2500 passengers this offer. For this reason, forced the Portuguese Ministry of Transport, together with the REFER and the municipalities, a resumption of traffic from Pocinho up to Barca d' Alva, at least for tourist purposes. However, a realization also depends on the actions of the Spanish government from the reactivation of the railway line between Barca d' Alva and Vega Terron and La Fuente de San Esteban. The population calls for a permanent train service on the Portuguese- Spanish border analogous to traffic Porto- Vigo.