Cacilheiro
As Cacilheiros in are Portugal , the ferry called the Lisbon with the south bank of the Tagus connect. The name is a derivative of the city name Cacilhas , where the early landing stages for commuters were.
Importance of ferry connections
The importance of the Cacilheiros dates back to before the construction of the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge . Before this was opened in 1966 between the Lisbon district of Alcântara and the city of Almada , the ferries across the Tagus were the only connection between the north and south banks of the river.
The Cacilheiros - often referred to as " ferry " in Portugal - were an integral part of the Portuguese rail network and today of local public transport . On the Lisbon side they connect Belém , Cais do Sodré and Terreiro do Paço with the municipalities of Porto Brandão , Trafaria , the eponymous Cacilhas, Seixal , Montijo and Barreiro on the south bank .
The current operating company, Transtejo & Soflusa , had six terminals and three stations in 2019 , used 28 ships on its five lines and carried around 17.7 million passengers in 2018.
History and ships
The first regular ferry connections between the two banks began in the second half of the 19th century. Initially, paddle steamers like the Porto Brandão were used . In addition to passenger transport, the range of services was expanded over time: the first vehicles were transported in 1903 and the first excursions took place in 1907, which led from the Cais do Sodré to São Julião da Barra . They already included a music program and a buffet.
In 1975 there were five private companies, the Sociedade Marítima de Transportes , the Empresa de Transportes Tejo , the Sociedade Nacional de Motonaves , the Sociedade Jerónimo Rodrigues Durão and the Sociedade Damásio, Santos e Vasques . Like the entire economy of the country, they were nationalized that year, creating the current operating company, Transtejo & Soflusa.
For a long time, many of the Transtejo cacilheiros were painted in a striking orange and white, which has become a trademark of the boats. Today the catamaran high-speed ferries are blue and white. Over the decades, the ships themselves have become famous, such as the Évora from 1931, which was the first Portuguese ship to use a diesel engine and no longer soot on the passengers. Today, the best-known photo motifs include the "Oldtimer" Eborense from 1953 and, for a long time, the former Alentejense from 1957.
See also
literature
- Luís Miguel Correia: Cacilheiros. EIN Nautica, Lisbon 1996, ISBN 972-96940-0-1 .
- Luís Miguel Correia: Lisbon Ferry tales. River Tagus Steamers, Ferries and Catamarans. EIN Nautica, Lisbon 2012, ISBN 978-972-8536-18-3 .
- Luís Miguel Correia: De Lisboa à outra banda. Histórias de Vapores, Cacilheiros e Catamarãs do Tejo. EIN Nautica, Lisbon 2012, ISBN 978-972-8536-17-6 .
Web links
- Website of the ferry operator Transtejo & Soflusa , accessed on March 21, 2020
- Cacilheiros (6) at restosdecoleccao.blogspot.com , access on March 21, 2020
- Photos of numerous cacilheiros at lmc-cacilheiros.blogspot.com , accessed on March 21, 2020