Light rail system in Porto, Portugal
The
Porto Metro
(
Portuguese
:
Metro do Porto
) is a
light rail
network in
Porto
,
Portugal
and a key part of the city's public transport system. Being a
semi-metro
, it runs underground in central Porto and above ground into the city's
suburbs
using low-floor
tram
vehicles.
[3]
The first parts of the system have been in operation since 2002.
[4]
It is a separate system to
Porto's vintage trams
.
The network has 6 lines and reaches seven municipalities within the metropolitan Porto area:
Porto
,
Gondomar
,
Maia
,
Matosinhos
,
Povoa de Varzim
,
Vila do Conde
and
Vila Nova de Gaia
. It currently has a total of 82 operational stations across 67 kilometres (42 mi) of
double track
commercial line. Most of the system is at ground level or elevated, but 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) of the network is underground. The system is run by ViaPORTO.
History
[
edit
]
Metro do Porto
S.A.
was founded in 1993, and Line A (blue line) between Senhor de
Matosinhos
and
Trindade
in central Porto was the first Porto Metro line to open, in 2002. The line was extended in 2004 to
Estadio do Dragao
, in time for the
Euro 2004
Football championship.
On April 14, 2005, Line B (red line) opened. The
Casa da Musica
concert hall (which has a station on the combined ABCEF line) opened on the same day. Lines A and B are the last legacy of a line which once went from Trindade to
Famalicao
, originally
narrow gauge
, opened in 1875, completed in 1881 and switched to
metre gauge
in 1930. (The stretch from Varzim to Famalicao is now a
bicycle trail
.)
Line C (green line) opened on July 30, 2005, reaching the centre of Maia. An extension to
ISMAI
opened in March 2006. Line C uses a stretch formerly part of the
Guimaraes line
which joined the current line at
Lousado
.
Line D (yellow line) proved the most problematic to excavate and opened in 2005. The line runs from Joao de Deus and Vila Nova de Gaia in the south before crossing the River Douro and passing through central Porto en route to Sao Joao Hospital in the north. The Sao Joao Hospital and
IPO
stations were not brought into service until April 2006 due to safety concerns. In October 2011, it was extended to Santo Ovidio.
Line E (violet line) opened on May 27, 2006, connecting the
Airport Francisco Sa Carneiro
and
Campanha
. Several weeks later, the line was extended to
Estadio do Dragao
. An end-to-end journey takes 33 minutes, with services departing every 20 minutes.
Line F (orange line) opened on January 2, 2011, connecting the Porto city centre to the Gondomar region in the east, this line runs between Senhora da Hora and Fanzeres.
[5]
Lines A, B, C, E & F follow the same course within the City of Porto (between Estadio do Dragao and Senhora da Hora). The transfer point between Line ABCEF and Line D is at
Trindade
in central Porto; from Trindade to Senhora da Hora, the right of way recycles the original Porto-Varzim-Famalicao/Maia-Trofa-Guimaraes trunk line.
Costs and financial results
[
edit
]
As of 2007, the total cost of the Porto Metro
public transport
system stands at 3.5 billion
euros
- over 1% of Portugal's
GDP
. The first phase of the project alone, which was led by the mayors of several
Grande Porto
(Greater Porto) municipalities including
Valentim Loureiro
as a chairman of the
state-owned company
, was 140% more expensive than initially planned ? a slippage of over 1,5 billion euros. The Porto Metro state-owned company has reported losses every year, reaching a record loss of 122 million euros in 2006.
[6]
[7]
Rolling Stock
[
edit
]
The Metro uses modern
Eurotram
low-floor,
articulated
trams.
Flexity Swift
LRVs are used on line B, Bx and occasionally line C since 2008, and can reach 100 km/h (62.1 mph). They also have more seats, and can, in common with most modern light rail systems, recover 30% of the total of consumed energy during braking.
[
citation needed
]
New LVRs from
CRRC Tangshan
, dubbed CRRC Tram or CT,
[8]
are being implemented on the network, running since 2023 on line C.
[9]
The majority of services run with two LRVs coupled together. The Eurotram consists of four main compartments, two in each carriage linked by short corridors, and also features an articulation between the two carriages. They have a capacity of 80 seated and 134 standing passengers. The Flexity Swift consists of three components linked by articulations, with a capacity of 100 seated and 148 standing passengers. The CT consists of four articulated components, having a capacity of 244 passengers, 64 of which are seated.
[10]
Tickets
[
edit
]
The system uses the "
Andante
" ticketing system. Machines in stations issue and can recharge
Andante Azul
- blue "Occasional" tickets, while
Andante Gold
is a credit-card style "Gold" tickets (which bear a scanned photograph of the holder) that can be purchased in
Lojas Andante
(Andante Shops). Tickets can also be topped up at Multibanco ATM terminals.
The Porto Metro operates on a
proof-of-payment
system. Tickets must be validated before travel by scanning them in front of the yellow machines located in stations. A validated occasional ticket allows for unlimited travel within a specified time period, currently 1 hour for the minimum 2-zone ticket, and longer as the number of valid zones increases. The gold passes allow unlimited travel within a pre-defined area, and are available in "anytime" or cheaper "10/16" (off-peak) versions. There is also a daily ticket, known as
Andante 24
that allows the user to make unlimited trips within a given day in the zones chosen. For example, a Z3 (3-zone) ticket is valid for 3 zones in any direction of travel from the first validated zone. So, to cover all of the Metro, except the northernmost part of Line B (zones VCD3 and PV_VC), a Z4 ticket is needed, provided it is validated in zone PRT1.
There are no faregates within the Metro; instead, groups of fare inspectors randomly check tickets with hand-held scanners. The current penalty for travelling without a validated ticket is €120.
The metro uses the same zoning system as the majority of public transport providers in the Porto metropolitan area, which is divided by counties, and further divided into numbered sub-zones (for example, VCD3 is the third area of the Vila do Conde county). The PRT1 zone in central Porto is effectively the area contained within the VCI (Via Cintura Interna) inner ring-road, while zones PRT2 and PRT3 are the areas between the VCI and the Estrada da Circunvalacao outer ring-road.
[
citation needed
]
The Andante system is being rolled out across the entire Porto public transit network.
STCP
bus routes and some other bus routes currently accept Andante and the intention is for the entire bus, metro and suburban train network to become integrated. The same ticket cannot be used on downtown
Porto trams
and the cable car (
Funicular dos Guindais
). The
Andante Azul
that tourists typically use are not valid, though the
Andante Gold
loaded with monthly tickets may be accepted.
[
citation needed
]
Network
[
edit
]
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Povoa de Varzim
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Sao Bras
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Portas Fronhas
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Alto do Pega
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Vila do Conde
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Santa Clara
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Azurara
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Arvore
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Varziela
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Espaco Natureza
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Mindelo
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Modivas Centro
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Modivas Sul
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Vilar do Pinheiro
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Lidador
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Aeroporto
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Pedras Rubras
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Botica
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Verdes
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Crestins
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Esposade
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ISMAI
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Custoias
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Castelo da Maia
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Mandim
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Senhor de Matosinhos
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Zona Industrial
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Mercado
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Forum da Maia
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Brito Capelo
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Parque da Maia
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Matosinhos Sul
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Camara de Matosinhos
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Custio
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Parque Real
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Araujo
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Pedro Hispano
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Pias
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Estadio do Mar
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Candido dos Reis
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Vasco da Gama
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Fonte do Cuco
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Senhora da Hora
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Sete Bicas
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Hospital de Sao Joao
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Viso
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IPO
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Ramalde
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Polo Universitario
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Francos
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Salgueiros
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Casa da Musica
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Combatentes
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Carolina Michaelis
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Marques
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Lapa
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Faria Guimaraes
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Trindade
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Aliados
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Bolhao
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Sao Bento
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Campo 24 de Agosto
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Heroismo
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Jardim do Morro
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Campanha
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General Torres
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Estadio do Dragao
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Camara de Gaia
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Contumil
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Joao de Deus
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Nasoni
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D. Joao II
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Nau Vitoria
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Santo Ovidio
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Levada
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Rio Tinto
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Campainha
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de Baguim
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de Carreira
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Venda Nova
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de Fanzeres
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Line A
[
edit
]
- Senhor de Matosinhos ? Estadio do Dragao
- Travel time: 40 minutes
- Headway: 10 minutes
Line A
or the
Blue Line
is the main and, historically, most important of the five Porto Metro lines. It has 23 stations.
The line was opened between Trindade and Senhor de Matosinhos on 7 December 2002, by then Prime Minister Barroso. Until the end of 2002 travel was free of charge to allow users to familiarize themselves with the new light rail line. On June 5, 2004, on the occasion of the Euro 2004 European Football Championship, the section between Trindade and Estadio do Dragao was opened.
Service runs every 10 minutes between 07:00 and 20:00 between Senhor de Matosinhos and Estadio do Dragao, with some trips extended to Fanzeres on Line F. Between 6:00 and 7:00 and after 20:00 the frequency is 15 minutes. After 21:00 services only run between Senhor de Matosinhos and Trindade.
Flexity Outlook Eurotrams
number 001?072 service the line.
Line B/Bx
[
edit
]
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Povoa de Varzim
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Sao Bras
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Portas Fronhas
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Alto de Pega
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Vila do Conde
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Santa Clara
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Azurara
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Arvore
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Varziela
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Espaco Natureza
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Mindelo
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VC Fashion Outlet/Modivas
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Modivas Centro
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Modivas Sul
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Vilar de Pinheiro
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Lidador
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Pedras Rubras
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Verdes
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Crestins
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Esposade
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Custoias
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Fonte do Cuco
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Senhora da Hora
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Sete Bicas
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Viso
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Ramalde
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Francos
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Casa da Musica
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Carolina Michaelis
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Lapa
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Trindade
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Bolhao
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Campo 24 de Agosto
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Heroismo
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Campanha
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Estadio do Dragao
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- Povoa de Varzim ? Estadio do Dragao
- Travel time (B): 61 minutes
- Travel time (Bx): 53 minutes
- Headway: 30 minutes (each service)
Line B
or the
Red Line
has 35 stations and is the longest line of the system.
The line reuses, for almost its entire length, the route of the old Povoa Line, which connected Trindade to Povoa de Varzim. Line B was Porto Metro's second line to open. Initially the line only ran between
Estadio do Dragao
and Senhora da Hora, thus sharing the route with Line A. On March 13, 2005, an extension was opened between Senhora da Hora and Pedras Rubras. On March 18, 2006, after successive delays, the final section to
Povoa de Varzim
was officially inaugurated.
The line has two types of services between Povoa de Varzim and Estadio do Dragao: regular, which stops at all stations; and the Bx express, which only stops at Portas Fronhas,
Vila do Conde
, Varziela, Mindelo and Pedras Rubras, between Povoa de Varzim and Senhora da Hora. From early summer 2011 the express service was expanded to operate daily.
In July 2016, Porto Metro announced that an additional
infill station
, Modivas Norte, will be added at The Style Outlet. The work is financed 50% by the mall management and will cost a total of €1.2 million.
[13]
Although no extensions are planned, consideration was given to use the abandoned Famalicao branch to reach Barreiros, near
Avenida 25 de Abril
, via Mouroes. Beyond Povoa de Varzim the right-of-way has been converted into a cycle path in order to preserve the branch.
Line C
[
edit
]
- ISMAI ? Campanha
- Travel time: 41 minutes
- Headway: 15 minutes
Line D
[
edit
]
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Santo Ovidio
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D. Joao II
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Joao de Deus
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Camara de Gaia
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General Torres
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Jardim do Morro
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Sao Bento
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Aliados
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Trindade
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Faria Guimaraes
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Marques
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Combatentes
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Salgueiros
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Polo Universitario
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IPO
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Hospital Sao Joao
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- Santo Ovidio ? Hospital Sao Joao
- Travel time: 25 minutes
- Minimum headway: 5 / 10 minutes
Line E
[
edit
]
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Aeroporto
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Botica
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Verdes
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Crestins
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Esposade
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Custoias
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Fonte do Cuco
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Senhora da Hora
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Sete Bicas
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Viso
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Ramalde
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Francos
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Casa da Musica
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Carolina Michaelis
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Lapa
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Trindade
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- Aeroporto ? Trindade
- Travel time: 35 minutes
- Headway: 30 minutes
Line F
[
edit
]
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Senhora da Hora
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Sete Bicas
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Viso
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Ramalde
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Francos
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Casa da Musica
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Carolina Michaelis
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Lapa
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Trindade
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Bolhao
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Campo 24 de Agosto
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Heroismo
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Campanha
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Estadio do Dragao
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Contumil
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Nasoni
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Nau Vitoria
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Levada
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Rio Tinto
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Campainha
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Baguim
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Carreira
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Venda Nova
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Fanzeres
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- Senhora da Hora ? Fanzeres
- Travel time: 39 minutes
- Headway: 15 minutes
Funicular dos Guindais
[
edit
]
The Metro do Porto company also operates the Funicular of Guindais, a cable-car system that was originally built in 1891 and was recently remodelled. It connects the riverside area of Ribeira to higher ground at Batalha, near the Sao Bento station.
Future expansion
[
edit
]
- Line D: Connection to Vila D'Este. Construction of the 3.15km, 3 station extension began in March of 2021 and the station is planned to enter service at the beginning of 2024.
[14]
- Line G (Pink line): A new 2.7km, 4 station fully underground line which connects Casa da Musica to Sao Bento through Cordoaria.
[15]
The construction started in 2020 and the line is expected to go into service at the start of 2025.
[16]
[17]
- Line H (Ruby line): A new 6.74km, 8 station line that will connect Casa da Musica station in Porto with Santo Ovidio station in
Vila Nova de Gaia
. Construction will be put out for bid in 2023 with the line planned to enter service in 2026.
[18]
[19]
Network map
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
https://www.metrodoporto.pt/metrodoporto/uploads/document/file/640/final_relatoriocontas_2022_1.pdf
- ^
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2024-01-20/porto-metro-record/85247#
- ^
Sistema de Metro Ligeiro do Porto
, retrieved 2024-03-21.
(in Portuguese)
- ^
Webb, Mary (ed.) (2009).
Jane's Urban Transport Systems 2009?2010
, p. 277. Coulsdon, Surrey (UK):
Jane's Information Group
.
ISBN
978-0-7106-2903-6
.
- ^
METRO DO PORTO CELEBRA 20 ANOS.
, retrieved 2024-03-21.
(in Portuguese)
- ^
Gestores do Metro do Porto recebem €650 mil de premios
,
Expresso
newspaper, 18 February 2006, accessed March 2007
(in Portuguese)
- ^
Metro do Porto fechou exercicio com resultado negativo de 122 milhoes de euros
Archived
2011-09-29 at the
Wayback Machine
, Diario Economico website, 7 March 2007, accessed March 2007
(in Portuguese)
- ^
"Ja chegou o novo Metro"
.
Metro do Porto
. 23 December 2022
. Retrieved
31 March
2024
.
(in Portuguese)
- ^
Cruz, Hermana (12 December 2023).
"Passageiros rendidos ao "luxo" dos novos assentos do metro do Porto"
. Jornal de Noticias
(in Portuguese)
. Retrieved
31 March
2024
.
- ^
Larguesa e Lusa, Antonio (6 December 2023).
"Novo metro chines do Porto faz viagem inaugural com Costa a bordo"
. ECO
(in Portuguese)
. Retrieved
31 March
2024
.
- ^
Official Timetable 2012-2013
- ^
UrbanRail.net
- ^
"Metro do Porto vai ter nova Estacao em Modivas Norte"
. Retrieved
2016-07-08
.
- ^
"Metro do Porto divulga novas imagens da futura estacao de Vila d'Este"
(in Portuguese). Porto Canal. 2023-04-05.
- ^
"Mais 6 quilometros. 7 novas estacoes. Metro do Porto vai crescer"
(in Portuguese).
Diario de Noticias
. 7 February 2017
. Retrieved
12 February
2017
.
- ^
"A nova linha do Metro do Porto vai ligar a Casa da Musica a S. Bento"
(in Portuguese). NIT. 7 February 2017
. Retrieved
12 February
2017
.
- ^
Rose line got green light by the tribunal of financie
- ^
second line in Gaia
- ^
A bridge to the future (soon)
External links
[
edit
]