[PT] Douro Line planned closure.

[Giugiaro]

The Douro Line will be closed between November 2024 and March 2025 for engineering work.

The closure will be between the Marco de Canaveses and Ermida railway stations.
The reason is the engineering work necessary to lower the floor of the tunnels to allow for the electrification of the railway line.
Supposedly there'll be a rail replacement bus in the closed section.

The overall electrification of the Douro Line, between Marco de Canaveses and Peso da Régua, will take three years and span between August 2024 and July 2027.

By the end of the decade, it's expected that the whole line, up to Barca d'Alva and the Spanish border, will be fully reopened, reinforced and electrified.

Source: https://eco.sapo.pt/2023/06/09/elet...-fecho-de-troco-marco-ermida-por-cinco-meses/

 

[ainsworth74]

Presumably this is the beginning of the end of the heritage stock and locomotives? Though presumably still a few years away though?

 

[Giugiaro]

During the planned closure, it's pretty much guaranteed that from Ermida upstream only English Electrics and coaches will be in service.

Once the Stadler Flirts arrive, it'll be basically the end of regular vintage diesel service.

After that, we don't exactly know what'll happen.

 

[ainsworth74]

During the planned closure, it's pretty much guaranteed that from Ermida upstream only English Electrics and coaches will be in service.

Once the Stadler Flirts arrive, it'll be basically the end of regular vintage diesel service.

After that, we don't exactly know what'll happen.

Well at least it's Flirts, so decent trains are replacing them. Considerably less fun though!! I guess if anyone wants to do it with 'proper' trains they need to do it fairly soon.