Linha de Guimarães
Vizela railway station.
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Infraestruturas de Portugal
Termini	Lousado Guimarães
Service
Operator(s)	Comboios de Portugal
Technical
Line length	ca 30 km (19 mi)
Track gauge	1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in)
Old gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrification	25 kV / 50 Hz Overhead line, AC

The Linha de Guimarães is a railway line in Portugal operated by Comboios de Portugal. It runs between Porto and Guimarães; until 1986 it extended eastwards to Fafe. It was extensively modernised in the 2000s, including conversion from metre gauge to Iberian gauge track and electrification.^[1]

Location on the network

+ Lousado × Guimarães (🔎)

Linha de Guimarães
L. Corgo → Chaves Curalha L. Corgo → Régua (cancelled proj.) Cavez Linha do Tâmega → Livração (cancelled proj.) 80,585 Fafe 76,300 Cepães 73,300 Farreja (dem.) 67,910 Paçô Vieira Paçô Vieira tunnel (71 m) 66,200 Penha (dem.) 64,000 Aldão-São Torcato (dem.) 55,693 Guimarães 59,500 Guimarães (old station) 53,249 Covas A11 = A7 50,482 Nespereira 47,728 Vizela 49,700 CFPLE →Lixa (cancelled proj.) 49,700 Pereirinhas 48,400 Cuca 42,298 Lordelo 43,855 Atainde (dem.) 39,612 Giesteira 37,954 Vila das Aves (formerly V. Aves-Negrelos) Ave River 34,904 Caniços 30,400 Santo Tirso A3 Linha do Minho →Famalicão 25,520 Lousado L. do Minho →Famalicão (old route) Lousado (old station; museum) Ave River L. do Minho ←Porto-S. B. 26,155 Trofa (old station) L. do Minho ←Porto-S. B. (old route) 23,799 Bougado EN14 Alvarelhos (dem.) 18,300 Muro 14,236 Castêlo da Maia (formerly Castelo da Maia) 12,529 Mandim (dem.) 09,900 Maia (formerly Barreiros) 07,700 Araújo 07,000 Esposado (dem.) Linha da Póvoa →Famalicão R. Matosinhos → Pdrs. S. Gens 03,852 Sra. da Hora (formerly Vila de Bouças) R. Matosinhos → P. Leixões 02,600 Circunvalação 02,000 Ramalde 01,000 Francos Bif. Boavista 0,000 Boavista (workshop) 03,000 Avenida da França Cedofeita (cancelled proj.) Lapa tunnel (488 m) 00,000 Porto-Trindade

Porto Commuter rail
Porto metropolitan area commuter rail services
Guimarães Covas Nespereira Caíde Pereirinhas Cuca Vizela Lordelo Braga Giesteira Ferreiros Vila das Aves Mazagão Caniços Aveleda Santo Tirso Tadim Ruilhe Caíde Arentim Meinedo Couto de Cambeses Bustelo Nine Penafiel Louro Paredes Mouquim Oleiros Famalicão Irivo Barrimau Cête Esmeriz Parada Lousado Recarei-Sobreira Trofa Trancoso Portela Terronhas São Romão São Martinho do Campo São Frutuoso Valongo Leandro Suzão Travagem Cabeda Ermesinde Águas Santas/ Palmiheira Rio Tinto Contumil Porto-Campanhã General Torres Porto-São Bento Vila Nova de Gaia Coimbrões Aveiro Madalena Cacia Valadares Canelas Francelos Salreu Miramar Estarreja Aguda Avanca Granja Válega Espinho Ovar Silvalde Carvalheira- Maceda Paramos Cortegaça Esmoriz
Legend
Ramal de Braga/Linha do Minho Linha do Douro Linha de Guimarães Linha do Norte
Source: Official site, January 2019

Trindade station, Porto, May 1996

Narrow gauge diesel multiple unit train at Guimarães station in 1996

Narrow gauge line

The 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge line from Lousado to Guimarães opened in 1884 and was extended to Fafe in 1907. From 1938 trains started operating the entirety of the route via a new link from Trindade station in Porto through to Fafe. The section between Guimarães and Fafe was closed in 1986 and the track lifted. Narrow gauge services on the Guimarães line ended in 2002 (for conversion to 1,668 mm / 5 ft 5+21⁄32 in). The terminus in Porto was Trindade station, which was closed in 2001 and subsequently rebuilt for use by the Porto Metro. The first few kilometres of the Guimarães line from Trindade has been rebuilt to become line C of the Porto Metro.

Broad gauge line

In 2004 Guimarães was one of the venues for the UEFA Euro 2004 football championship. Considerable investment was needed to bring the Guimarães line up to modern standards for carrying the expected numbers of visitors. Accordingly, the line was completely rebuilt as a 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in) gauge line, with 25 kV / 50 Hz overhead wire electrification. The former line east of Guimarães to Fafe remained closed.

Upon modernisation in 2004, the former Porto terminus at Trindade station was closed (and has since been completely rebuilt to become a station on the Porto Metro). The former section of line between Porto Trindade station and Lousado was closed; trains to/from Guimarães now operate between Lousado and Porto via the Linha do Minho. Most Guimarães trains now terminate at Porto São Bento.

See also

• List of gauge conversions
• List of railway lines in Portugal
• List of Portuguese locomotives and railcars
• History of rail transport in Portugal

References