Linha da Beira Alta

Pampilhosa – Vilar Formoso
Route length:	202.5 km
Gauge :	1668 mm ( Iberian track )
Legend Linha do Norte from Porto-Campanhã 0.0 Pampilhosa Ramal da Figueira da Foz to Figueira da Foz Linha do Norte to Lisbon Santa Apolonia 3.7 Quinta do Valongo / Vacariça 5.9 Pego 8.8 Luso / Buçaco 12.8 Trezói 17.0 Soito 20.4 Monte de Lobos 23.1 Mortágua Albufeira da Aguieira reservoir Dão river 35.1 Santa Comba Dão Linha do Dão to Viseu 39.4 Castelejo 43.2 Papízios 47.6 Carregal do Sal 52.0 Oliveirinha / Cabanas 53.5 Fiais da Telha 56.7 Lapa do Lobo 58.7 Canas / Felgueira 61.1 Urgeiriça 65.1 Folhadal 66.8 Nelas 73.5 Moimenta / Alcafache 78.1 Mangualde 83.4 Contenças 89.5 Abrunhosas 93.8 Gouveia 101.8 Fornos de Algodres 107.2 Muxagata 110.3 Vila Boa do Mondego A25 motorway 117.5 Celorico da Beira 122.8 Baraçal 125.6 Marçal do Chão 131.4 Vila Franca das Naves 134.3 Cerejo 136.9 Pinhel 141.9 Trajadinha 149.2 Sobral A25 motorway 155.9 Guarda Linha da Beira Baixa 160.0 Gata 163.1 Vila Garcia 166.5 Vila Fernando 171.6 Rochoso 175.5 Cerdeira 178.7 Miuzela 182.3 Noémi 186.9 Castelo Mendo 189.2 Malhada Sorda 193.9 Freineda 197.5 Aldeia 202.5 Vilar Formoso Portugal / Spain

Vilar Formoso train station on the Spanish border

Pampilhosa train station at night

The Linha da Beira Alta , in German main line of the Beira Alta , is a Portuguese railway line. It runs from the Pampilhosa station on the Linha do Norte largely parallel to the Rio Mondego to the border crossing to Spain at Vilar Formoso .

The 202 km long line is considered one of the most beautiful railway lines in Portugal. Since it was led along the edge of the Serra da Estrela , it runs through a total of 13 tunnels.

history

The construction of the railway line began in 1878 and opened on August 3, 1882.

Since the 1970s, the Linha da Beira Alta has only run as far as Pampilhosa, the remaining part of the route to Figueira da Foz has been downgraded to the Ramal da Figueira da Foz branch line , as the main traffic anyway headed south to Coimbra, Entroncamento and Lisbon instead of to Coast. As part of a route renewal in the 1990s, the railway line was electrified.

1985 train accident

On September 11, 1985 there was a head-on collision of the Sud-Express with a regional train at Alcafache . At least 113 people died.

→ Main article : Moimenta-Alcafache railway accident

modernization

Between 1992 and 1998 the Linha da Beira Alta was fundamentally modernized with EU funding. According to the concept developed by the Swiss SMA and partners , the single-track line was electrified and expanded in sections to a top speed of 160 km / h. In addition, two new remote-controlled crossing stations were built.

traffic

Today the Linha da Beira Alta is the only electrified main line to the neighboring country Spain, on the route, among other things, the Sud-Express and numerous regional trains of the state railway company Comboios de Portugal run .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Project presentation “Modernization of the Beira Alta Line in Portugal” ( Memento of the original from February 26, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 

Web links

Commons : Linha da Beira Alta  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Photo gallery of the Linha da Beira Alta
• Photo gallery 2 of the Linha da Beira Alta