Hi all. Just done some Google search after travelling the Linha Algarve. Wikipedia (German) mentioned the line is to be electrified to Lagos and Vila Real by 2019. Down here there seems no evidence of this. Dies anybody have any Informationen on this? And would it be viable with the current handful of trains? It seems the electric line Faro northwards only has 5 or sk trains per direction. Not a lot for such infrastructure cost.
And last, any hope of the Lagos railway museum opening ever again?
Martin
With the EU paying most of it, the concept of modernisation in the Portuguese railways was the full monty. Signalling, Track, Electrfication, with the later being included as a question of economy of scale.There is plentiful electric stock while little investment is being made in diesel one.
The "just" 5 or 6 trains you say that run (5, with 6 on certain summer days) are limited by the lack of stock and capacity of the line North of Ermidas Sado, which has plentiful freight, mostly using electric locos. So they just electrified the rest to the south and will electrify the Algarve coastal line in full, so that they can get rid of the DMU and enhance the service, especially now that the whole line is CTC.
The 3 daily intercity trains can run in the summer with up to 9/10 cars in a daily basis (In the winter it is more usual 4 carriages). To this you add the 2 tilting trains per direction. You really can't put much more there!
