Portugal’s rail service company, Comboios de Portugal, is following the ‘retro’ trend sweeping through the transport industry by converting some old carriages into a 1940s-style travel experience.
The carriages were in use between 1949 and 1977 and have been restored by the rail company to start a 'time travel' service from Oporto’s São Bento station to Tua in Bragança along the picturesque Douro valley.
The daily service will be launched on Friday with three carriages, originally made by Shindler, able to carry 200 passengers. Later on in the tourist season, a further three converted carriages can be added.
The new ‘Miradouro’ service is a response to the popularity of the Douro Line, particularly by tourists and the rail company plans to run the trains until the end of September.
The carriages are picked out in vivid colours and are pulled by a diesel locomotive from the 1960s sporting blue livery. The upgraded comfy interiors have seats that can swivel to get the full panoramic experience. The Miradouro service will stop at Campanhã, Régua, Pinhão and Tua if people want to get off and potter around.
The Algarve’s regional rail service, despite many stations recently being refurbished, remains a poorly used commuter route with tourists either unaware it exists or put off by infrequent trains, shabby looking rolling stock, a lack of air-conditioning and no link to Faro airport.
In January this year, the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Pedro Marques, confirmed that the Algarve’s creaking railway system is to be fully electrified, at a cost of €32 million - but won’t be finished until "at least 2020." As for the Faro link, this is not being planned as, despite assurances to the contrary, the minister is using 'environmental concerns' to thwart a project which would enable hundreds of thousands of travellers to use the rail system rather than expensive taxi transfers.
The Algarve line's rolling stock is more of a laughing stock after a cruel hoax by the rail company in 2011 when 'new' carriages were delivered. These turned out to be refurbished 1960s carriages used almost to destruction in the north of the country until they were tarted up and sent south.
The pan-Algarve route may not afford passengers the splendour of the Douro valley but is engaging none-the less with many interesting destinations. This local service can not possibly be making a profit, relying as it does on commuters and occassional travellers, so needs tourists included in the passenger mix.
The railway company shows no sign of exploiting the Algarve line to its full potential which is a waste of taxpayers' money and an opportunity missed.