Linha do Vouga

Linha do Vouga

L.ª Norte→ Porto-Campanhã 0,0 Espinho L.ª Norte→ Lisboa-Santa Apolónia Espinho-Vouga Silvalde Monte de Paramos Lapa Oleiros Paços de Brandão Rio Meão São João de Vêr Cavaco Sanfins Santa Maria da Feira Escapães Arrifana São João da Madeira Faria Couto de Cucujães Santiago de Riba/Ul Oliveira de Azeméis Ul Travanca / Macinhata da Seixa Figueiredo Pinheiro da Bemposta Branca Albergaria-a-Nova Urgeiras Albergaria-a-Velha R. Viseu→ Viseu Sernada do Vouga Macinhata do Vouga Carvalhal da Portela Valongo do Vouga Aguieira Mourisca do Vouga Águeda Oronhe Casal Álvaro Cabanões Travassô Taipa / Requeixo Eirol São João de Loure Eixo Azurva Esgueira L.ª Norte→Porto-Campanhã Aveiro L.ª Norte→Lisboa-Santa Apolónia

Linha do Vouga (the Vouga line) is the last surviving metre gauge railway line in Portugal still operated by Comboios de Portugal. The other remaining metre gauge lines (the Corgo, Tâmega and Tua lines) all closed in 2009. The line is, however, also under the threat of closure.

The Vouga line serves Aveiro, Agueda, Sernada do Vouga, Albergaria-a-Velha, Oliveira de Azeméis, São João da Madeira, Santa Maria da Feira, and Espinho.

Since 2002, services on the line have largely been operated by CP's Série 9630 diesel multiple units, which replaced the previous ex-Yugoslav Série 9700 diesel multiple units and the Dutch-built Série 9300 railcars.

The section between Sernada do Vouga and Viseu is closed.

Sernada do Vouga railway station

The Vouga line at Aveiro, June 2008

History

After the line was opened by Manuel II of Portugal in 1908, the Companhia do Vale do Vouga operated it from 1907 to 1946. The first section, between Espinho and Oliveira de Azeméis, opened to traffic on 21 December 1908; the next section to be completed was between Ul and Albergaria-a-Velha. The line between this location and Macinhata Vouga, and the Aveiro extension, opened on 8 September 1911. The remainder of the line opened in 1913.

On 30 December 1946, it was nationalised and taken over by the CP.

In the 2016 timetable, the section of line between Sernada do Vouga and Oliveira de Azeméis was served by rail replacement taxi running twice daily.^[1] This is still the situation in 2018. Some repair and rehabilitation work has been undertaken on the section between Aveiro and Sernada da Vouga. More trains now run along that section, with seven of the ten daily trains covering the whole length. The northern section between Oliveira de Azeméis and Aveiro has eight trains each way daily except Sundays and holidays, when there are seven.

See also

• Narrow gauge railways
• REFER

References

• The Portuguese Government's strategic transport plan 2011-2015, including the proposed closure of the Vouga line