Linha do Douro

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.

Linha do Douro
A passenger train heading to towards Porto São Bento crossing the Douro River
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Infraestruturas de Portugal
Locale	Distrito do Porto Distrito de Vila Real Distrito de Bragança Distrito da Guarda
Termini	Ermesinde Pocinho
Stations	44 (Ermesinde–Pocinho)
Service
Type	Commuter rail Regional rail
Operator(s)	Comboios de Portugal (passenger) Medway (freight)
Depot(s)	Porto - Contumil
Rolling stock	CP 1400 CP 592.0 / 592.2 Medway 1400 Medway 1900 Medway 1960 Medway 335.0 Medway 5600 Medway 4700
History
Opened	Stages between 1875 and 1887
Technical
Line length	160 km (99 miles)
Number of tracks	2 (Ermesinde - Caíde) 1 (Caíde - Pocinho)
Track gauge	1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) Iberian gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE (Ermesinde to Marco de Canavezes)
Operating speed	Maximum 140 km/h (87 mph)
Signalling	Automatic with Orientable Block (Ermesinde to Caíde) Telephonic (Caíde to Pocinho)

Location on the network

+ Ermesinde × Pocinho (🔎)

v t e Douro Line
Legend
km Minho line│to Leixões line São Gemil junction 008.430 Ermesinde 008.976 Minho line 15.965 Valongo 25.332 Recarei-Sobreira 30.169 Cête 37.990 Penafiel 46.075 Caíde 50.814 Vila Meã 55.323 Livração Tâmega Line 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 Corgo Line 112.237 Covelinhas 126.830 Pinhão 139.727 Tua Tua Line 171.522 Pocinho Sabor Line 199.500 Barca d'Alva 200.100 to La Fuente de San Esteban, Spain (closed 1985)
Detailed diagram km length in m Linha do Minho│to Linha de Leixões São Gemil junction 008.430 Ermesinde 008.976 Linha do Minho to Valença 009.500 Ermesinde-A 10.406 Cabêda 14.300 Suzão 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 IP 4 / A 4 34.940 Paredes Sousa River 37.400 Santiago 37.990 Penafiel Caminho de Ferro de Penafiel à Lixa e Entre-os-Rios to Eja Penafiel (original) Caminho de Ferro de Penafiel à Lixa e Entre-os-Rios to Lixa 40.785 Bustelo 43.057 Meinedo 46.075 Caíde 47.900 Tapada tunnel A 11 1,086 48.815 Oliveira 50.814 Vila Meã IP 4 / A 4 50.817 Recesinhos (formerly Castelões) 55.323 Livração Linha do Tâmega Tâmega River 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 Douro River 75.700 Aregos-CPE Douro River 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 A 24 Corgo Railway Bridge across the Corgo River 104.500 Linha do Corgo to Chaves 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 Tua River 139.727 Tua Linha do 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 IP 2 180.600 Côa Côa River 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)

v t e Porto Commuter rail
Legend
Porto metropolitan area commuter rail services
Guimarães Covas Nespereira Vizela Pereirinhas Cuca 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)

Construction

Section	Length	Opened
Ermesinde–Penafiel	30.311 km	July 29, 1875 (1875-07-29)
Penafiel–Caíde	07.328 km	December 20, 1875 (1875-12-20)
Caíde–Juncal	18.818 km	September 15, 1878 (1878-09-15)
Juncal–Régua	38.371 km	July 15, 1879 (1879-07-15)
Régua–Ferrão	15.813 km	April 4, 1880 (1880-04-04)
Ferrão–Pinhão	07.611 km	June 1, 1880 (1880-06-01)
Pinhão–Tua	12.993 km	September 1, 1883 (1883-09-01)
Tua–Pocinho	31.678 km	January 10, 1887 (1887-01-10)
Pocinho–Côa	09.061 km	May 5, 1887 (1887-05-05)
Côa–Barca d'Alva	18.882 km	December 9, 1887 (1887-12-09)
Continuation to La Fuente de San Esteban	Barca d'Alva–La Fuente de San Esteban railway	December 9, 1887 (1887-12-09)

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+21⁄32 in). The line is single track, apart from a double track section between Ermesinde and Caíde (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]

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 operation
• The Tâmega line, which closed in 2009 and ran north from a junction with the Douro line at Livração
• The Corgo line, which closed in 2009 and ran north from a junction with the Douro line at Regua
• The Tua line, which closed in 2008 and ran north from a junction with the Douro line at Tua
• The Sabor line, which closed in 1988 and ran north-east from a junction with the 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 - builder of most of the rolling stock used on the line
• Barca d'Alva–La Fuente de San Esteban railway

References

1. "Cronologia: 1844/1874 - Desde o Projecto até ao Fim do 3º Quartel do Séc. XIX" [Chronology: 1844/1874 - From the Project to the End of the 3rd Quarter of the 19th Century] (in Portuguese). Comboios de Portugal. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014.
2. "História da linha do Douro" [History of the Douro line]. A linha do Douro (in Portuguese). September 1989. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
3. "Governo avança com modernização do troço ferroviário Marco e Régua, na Linha do Douro" [Government moves ahead with modernization of Marco and Régua railway section on the Douro Line] (in Portuguese). Sapo. 30 May 2023.

Sources

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