Linha do Douro

Linha do Douro
Pinhão railway station.
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Infraestruturas de Portugal
Termini	Ermesinde Pocinho
Service
Operator(s)	Comboios de Portugal
Technical
Line length	ca 160 km (99 mi)
Track gauge	1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) Iberian gauge
Electrification	25 kV / 50 kHz Overhead line (Ermesinde to Caíde)

Location on the network

+ Ermesinde × Pocinho (🔎)

Template:BS-headerTemplate:BS3-startCollapsibleTemplate:BS3-replaceTemplate:BS3

Template:BS3-startCollapsible |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible Template:BS3-replace Template:BS3 |} Template:BS3-startCollapsible |} |}

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)

Linha do Douro is a railway in northern Portugal. For much of its route the line runs close to the Douro River, offering very scenic views of the river and valley. Trains on the line are operated by Comboios de Portugal (CP).

Construction

Section between stations	Distance	Date of opening
Ermesinde–Penafiel	30.311 km	29 July 1875
Penafiel–Caíde	07.328 km	20 December 1875
Caíde–Juncal	18.818 km	15 September 1878
Juncal–Régua	38.371 km	15 July 1879
Régual–Ferrão	15.813 km	4 April 1880
Ferrão–Pinhão	07.611 km	1 June 1880
Pinhão–Tua	12.993 km	1 September 1883
Tua–Pocinho	31.678 km	10 January 1887
Pocinho–Côa	09.061 km	5 May 1887
Côa–Barca d'Alva - Spanish border	18.882 km	9 December 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 continued onwards into Spain, 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+21⁄32 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).

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.

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 line, 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

• List of railway lines in Portugal
• List of Portuguese locomotives and railcars
• History of rail transport in Portugal
• CP Class 1400 - diesel locomotives frequently used on the line
• National Railway Museum (Portugal)
• Sorefame - constructor of most of the rolling stock used on the line
• Barca d'Alva–La Fuente de San Esteban railway

References

Sources

• "2019 Network Statement" (PDF). 7 December 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2019. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

External links

• www.linhadodouro.net (in Portuguese)