Intercidades
Intercidades is a type of train that is used in Portugal by the Portuguese state railway Comboios de Portugal for fast passenger trains with a high level of comfort. The first trains of this type of train ran in 1988, today the network is oriented towards the Portuguese capital Lisbon . The Intercidades trains are comparable to Central European InterCitys ; today they are all operated by the CP subsidiary CP Longo Curso .
history
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The Intercidades train type began in 1988 in the "Railway Modernization Plan 1988-1994 " ( Plano de Modernização dos Caminhos-de-ferros 1988-1994 ) of the then Cavaco Silva government . The main focus of the strategic plan was to offer trains with higher comfort, especially on important routes. On the other hand, weakly used, uneconomical routes were about to end. The first Intercidades trains ran on four routes from 1988, and further lines were introduced in a second stage in 1989.
In the course of the nineties, due to financial difficulties, the CP discontinued numerous Intercidades lines, especially secondary main lines ( Linha do Oeste , Linha do Minho ). Even the short introduction of weekend ICs to Leiria and Régua was unsuccessful, so that these too were discontinued around 2005. As an alternative, the CP increasingly introduced inter- regional lines (on less frequented routes) or replaced the Intercidades with the higher-quality Alfa Pendular , a high-speed train with tilting technology (to Braga ).
For the 20th anniversary of the Intercidades in 2008, the Intercidades touring cars were given a new color scheme with green (2nd class) or blue (1st class) adhesive films. Today the Intercidades complies with all common minimum standards for recognition as a Central European Intercity (air conditioning, bar carts, stops at a few train stations). All Intercidades - like the Alfa Pendular trains - require a reservation. It is possible to take bicycles with you free of charge on all Intercidades trains.
With the electrification of the Linha do Minho between Porto and Viana do Castelo, the CP extended a pair of trains on the Lisbon – Porto line to the city on the Lima.
Lines
Current lines
| Line designation | Driving distance | Railway line |
|---|---|---|
| IC Norte | Lisbon Santa Apolónia - Porto-Campanhã (- Guimarães / - Braga / - Viana do Castelo ) | L. do Norte , L. de Guimarães / R. de Braga / L. do Minho |
| IC Beira Baixa | Lisbon Santa Apolónia - Castelo Branco - Covilhã | L. do Norte, L. da Beira Baixa |
| IC Beira Alta | Lisbon Santa Apolónia - Pampilhosa - Guarda | L. do Norte, L. da Beira Alta |
| IC Alentejo | Lisbon Oriente - Évora | L. do Sul, L. do Alentejo , L. de Évora |
| IC Alentejo (Shuttle) | Casa Branca - Beja | L. do Alentejo |
| IC Sul | Lisbon Oriente - Faro | L. do Sul, L. do Algarve |
Former lines
| Driving distance | Railway line | Period | comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon Santa Apolonia - Braga | L. do Norte , Ramal de Braga | 1988-2004,
from 2010s |
replaced by Alfa Pendular, reintroduced in 2010s |
| Porto-Campanhã - Viana do Castelo | L. do Minho | 1989-1992 | from 1994 replacement by InterRegional |
| Nine - Viana do Castelo | L. do Minho | 1992-1994 | with a direct connection to Porto; from 1994 replacement by InterRegional |
| Porto-Campanhã– Régua | L. do Douro | 1989-1997 | Replacement by InterRegional / Regional |
| Porto-Campanhã-Régua | L. do Douro | 2002-2006 | Weekend IC; Replacement by InterRegional |
| Lisbon Rossio - Leiria | L. de Sintra , L. do Oeste | 1988-1991 | by extended IC according Figueira da Foz replaced |
| Lisbon Santa Apolónia – Figueira da Foz | L. de Cintura , L. de Sintra, Linha do Oeste | 1991-1997 | replaced by InterRegional |
| Lisbon Santa Apolonia – Leiria | L. de Cintura, L. de Sintra, Linha do Oeste | 2002-2005 | Weekend IC |
| Barreiro - VR de S. António | L. do Alentejo , L. do Sul , L. do Algarve | 1988-1994 | with direct connection to Lagos ; 1994 shortening (see below) |
| Barreiro / Lisbon Oriente – Faro | (L. do Alentejo), L. do Sul, L. do Algarve | 1994-2004 | with the opening of the Ponte 25 de Abril departure station Oriente |
| Barreiro– Évora / Beja | L. do Alentejo, L. de Évora | 1989-1997 | initially replaced by InterRegional, reintroduced in 2004 (see above) |
Vehicle use
Locomotives with passenger coaches are used on most Intercidades lines, although the length of the coaches varies depending on the line and the number of passengers; compositions of three to eight coaches are common. The CP Longo Curso in this case has Corail wagons of the series B10, A10 and A5R (bar) and in Portugal from Sorefame remanufactured INOX-DEV-car . Both are based on models from the French SNCF.
With regard to the locomotives, the assignments differ according to the maximum permissible speeds. On the two main arteries of the Portuguese railway network ( Linha do Norte and Linha do Sul ) the Intercidades trains run with Siemens locomotives of the 5600 series ( EuroSprinter ) built between 1993 and 1995 . On the lines to Guarda ( Linha da Beira Alta ) and on the line to Évora ( Linha do Alentejo , Linha de Évora ), the Alstom locomotives of the 2600/2620 series have been in use since electrification . On the line to Covilhã ( Linha da Beira Baixa ), locomotive-hauled trains as well as railcars of the 2240 series, which were actually intended for regional traffic, are used.
On the route to Beja ( Linha do Alentejo between Casa Branca and Beja), two refurbished diesel multiple units of the 0450 series have been in service since 2011 , the only diesel-powered Intercidades services in Portugal.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mário Rui André, João Ribeiro, Mário Rui André: Já é possível transportar bicicletas em todos os comboios da CP. In: Shifter. February 9, 2018, accessed July 26, 2019 (Portuguese).
- ↑ Comboios de Portugal: Transporte de bicicletas nos comboios. Retrieved July 26, 2019 .
- ^ Carlos Cipriano: Lisboa e Viana do Castelo ligadas por Intercidades a partir de Julho. In: Público. June 26, 2019, accessed June 30, 2019 (Portuguese).
Web links
- Overview of the CP for the Intercidades trains (Portuguese, English)
- Route map of the CP with the Intercidades and Alfa Pendular lines (PDF file, 1 MB)