Linha do Algarve

Linha do Algarve is a railway line in the Algarve, which connects the stations of Lagos and Vila Real de Santo António.

Linha do Algarve
Linha do Algarve in Faro.
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Infraestruturas de Portugal
Locale	Faro District
Termini	Lagos Vila Real de Santo António
Service
Type	Regional rail, High-speed rail
Operator(s)	Comboios de Portugal
Rolling stock	CP 0450 CP 4000 CP 4700 CP 5600
Technical
Line length	139.5 km (86.7 mi)
Number of tracks	One
Track gauge	Iberian
Electrification	25 kV / 50 kHz Overhead line (Tunes to Faro)
Operating speed	Maximum 160 km/h (99 mph)
Signalling	Interposed Automatic Block
Train protection system	Automatic train control
Route map

Location on the network

+ Lagos × VRSA (🔎)

Linha do Algarve
.000 .000 “L. de Aljezur”: → L. de Sines (cancelled proj.) → L. Sul: Am.-Odm. (cancelled proj.) Odemira (cancelled proj.) Aljezur (cancelled proj.) 347,305 Lagos (Old station; museum)
347,210 Lagos 347,210 Lagos 344,575 Meia Praia 341,403 Odiáxere (closed) Arão Railway Bridge × Arão River
339,173 Mexilhoeira Grande Farelo Railway Bridge × Farelo River 337,662 Figueira (closed) Vale Grande Bridge × EN125 Torre Bridge × Torre River 333,566 Alvor (closed)
330,281 Portimão Portimão Railway Bridge × Arade River 328,329 Ferragudo 328,100 R. de Ferragudo (dem.) 327,040 Charuto Bridge 325,432 Lagoa Bridge R. da Ponta do Altar (cancelled proj.) Mexilhoeira (closed)
325,186 Estômbar-Lagoa
319,181 Silves 319.000 Vale da Lama (dem.) 317,351 Silves-Amorim (dem.) 317.000 Vala (dem.) 314,080 Poço Barreto 313.000 Lameira (dem.)
310,444 Alcantarilha 309.130 Mesquita Bridge 310.000 Sobrado (dem.) 306,251 Algoz 304,910 Alvalede underpass 304,556 Alvalede (closed) 303,205 Tunes-EDP (closed) 302,716 C. Tunes (dem.)
000.000 L. Sul 000.000 L. Sul → Lisbon (Camp.-A)
301,889 Tunes 301,889 Tunes
307,082 Albufeira-Ferreiras 311.000 Fontainhas (dem.) 312,000 Patã (closed)
315,611 Boliqueime 318,502 Benfarras (dem.) 320,400 Vale Judeu (closed) 322.000 Várzea da Mão (dem.) R. de Boliqueime (cancelled proj.) 323,658 323,995 Loulé goods station
324,220 Loulé 324,220 Loulé R. de Loulé (cancelled proj.) × EN396 × Estr. Vale de Éguas 325,734 Vale de Éguas (dem.) × R. Vale Formoso 327,634 Almancil (formerly Vale Formoso) 331,175 Almancil-Nexe (closed)
331,870 Pq. Cidades 332,400 São João da Venda (dem.) 334.000 Diogal (dem.) 334,692 Provimi (dem.) 335.000 Borgal (dem.) 336,500 Patacão (dem.) 338,170 Marchil Bridge 338,009 Marchil (dem.)
340,008 Faro Faro Marina Bridge 334,700 Portas do Mar (dem.) R. Loulé (cancelled proj.) 341,148 São Francisco (dem.) 342,060 Faro Harbour (dem.) Faro-Vagarosa (dem.) 342,200 Bom João ship yards (dem.) × Rua do Moinho da Palmeira Faro-Torpiva (dem.) Lavadeiras River Bridge × Lavadeiras River Seco River Bridge × Seco River 344,6 Faro-Quimigal (dem.) 343,700 Rio Seco (dem.) 344.000 Garganta (dem.) Meia-Légua River Bridge × Meia-Légua River 346.000 Meia-Légua (dem.) Bela Mandil River Bridge × Bela Mandil River 349,455 São Bartolomeu (dem.)
349,951 Olhão Porto de Olhão (dem.) Marim Bridge × Marim River 353,605 Marim (closed) F. Santas Bridge × Fontes Santas River 355,828 Bias (closed) 358,645 Fuseta-A
359,496 Fuseta 361,993 × Est. Fonte Sagrada 362,385 Livramento Mosqueiros Bridge × Mosqueiros River Luz Bridge × Luz River 365,716 Luz Arroio Bridge × Arroio River 366.000 Pedras d’ El Rey (dem.) Comboio Pr. Barril 368,500 Varanda (dem.)
371,127 Tavira Sta. Maria Bridge × Séqua River 372,770 Porta Nova 373.000 Pagapouco (dem.) 373,245 × Est. Fonte Sagrada 375,787 Almargem Bridge × Almargem River 376,941 Conceição 378,880 Pinheiro (dem.) 380,124 Santa Rita (closed) 381,576 Nora (closed)
384,058 Cacela 387,323 Aroeira (closed) 389,911 Castro Marim 393,354 Monte Gordo
395,978 V. R. S. António 395,978 V. R. S. António L. Guadiana (cancelled proj.) VRSA mills (dem.) 396,700 VRSA harbour (dem.) 396,941 V. R. S. A. - Guadiana ⇄|× Guadiana River Ayamonte Renfe → Huelva; Zafra

Geography

The line runs east to west along the sothern coast of the Algarve, except for part of the coast in the Lagos municipality and all of the coast in the Vila do Bispo municipality. The main stations are Vila Real de Santo António, Faro, Tavira, Olhão, Albufeira, Tunes, Portimão, and Lagos.

Operation

Passengers and cargo

Faro railway station.

CP Class 0600 train, approaching Albufeira-Ferreiras, in 2011

All passenger services are run by the national railway operator Comboios de Portugal. Cargo services are operated by Medway. The infrastructure is owned and maintained by Infraestruturas de Portugal. The main railway station is Faro, the most important cargo terminal is Loulé.

Four passenger services operate on the Linha do Algarve. The Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, CP Regional, and a special service during the summer the InterRegional. The CP Regional trains operate the line completely from east to west with an interchange at Faro. The Alfa Pendular, Intercidades and InterRegional only service Messines-Alte, Tunes, Albufeira, Loulé, and Faro.[1]

The track from Vila Real de Santo António to Vila Real de Santo António - Guadiana, which linked the line to the ferries to Ayamonte, in Spain, is closed.[2]

History

In 1858, the expansion of the Linha do Sul, today Linha do Alentejo, from Beja to Algarve was planned;[3] in 1864, the contract between Companhia dos Caminhos de Ferro de Sul e Sueste and the Portuguese state was signed.[4]

The connection to Faro was completed on the 21st of February 1889,[5] but only opened on the 1st of July of the same year.[6]

The railway reached Olhão on 28 March 1904 (although the station was only opened on 15 May of that year[7]), Fuseta railway station on 1 September,[7] Luz on 31 January 1905,[7] Tavira on 19 March, and Vila Real de Santo António on 14 April 1906.[8] Towards Lagos, the stations of Algoz, Ferragudo and Lagos were opened on 10 October 1889,[4] 15 February 1903[9] and 30 July 1922.[10] The Vila Real de Santo António – Guadiana station was opened in the 1940s.[8]

See also

• List of railway lines in Portugal
• List of Portuguese locomotives and railcars
• History of rail transport in Portugal

References

1. Algarve Trains. wetravelportugal.com. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
2. "Vila Real de Santo António perdeu o comboio e ficou a ver passar os carros". Público. Público. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
3. Santos, 1995:120-121
4. "Cronologia". Comboios de Portugal. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
5. MESQUITA, José Carlos Vilhena (22 August 2009). "Inauguração do Comboio em Faro". Promontório da Memória. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
6. Santos, 1997:181
7. Marques, 1999:391
8. CABRITA, Aurélio Nuno (6 April 2006). "Primeiro comboio chegou a Vila Real de Santo António há 100 Anos". Barlavento Online. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
9. CABRITA, Aurélio Nuno (13 September 2007). "Recordar a Inauguração do Ramal de Caminho de ferro de Silves a Portimão". Barlavento Online. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
10. Coutinho, 2008:81

Bibliography

• Cabrita, Aurélio Nuno (2014). O comboio no Algarve: festejos e inaugurações. Lisboa e Portimão: Casa do Algarve e Centro de Arte e Cultura Teixeira Gomes. ISBN 978-989-96133-3-1.
• Marques, Maria da Graça Maia (1999). O Algarve Da Antiguidade aos Nossos Dias. Lisboa: Edições Colibri. ISBN 972-772-064-1.
• Santos, Luís Filipe Rosa (1995). Os Acessos a Faro e aos Concelhos Limítrofes na Segunda Metade do Séc. XIX. Faro: Câmara Municipal. ISBN 972-772-064-1.
• Santos, Luís Filipe Rosa (1997). Faro: um Olhar sobre o Passado Recente. Faro: Câmara Municipal. ISBN 972-772-064-1.