Sunday 13th November 2022
Heading home the long way around, via Spain..... firstly via Entroncamento to Badajoz to cover the cross-border route that only has two train pairs per day (only recently increased from one pair per day). Then a trip from Badajoz to Mérida and back to cover the new high speed line here and its connections.
Route: Porto São Bento 09:50 (U15723 CP EMU 3413) - Porto Campanhã 09:55 7; 10:38 (IC720 CP EL 5618 dep 6 late) - delayed due to overrunning engineering works again! Couldn’t find my reserved coach 1 – found out that my reserved seat was on the following relief train, which bizarrely had the same departure time and train number on the reservation message! Alighted at Espinho to wait for the correct train - Espinho 11:02 (arr 14 late); 11:08 (20750 CP Alfa Pendular set 010 dep 17 late) - Entroncamento 13:00 (arr 27 late); 13:36 (R5503 CP DR 0365) - opposite train 5500 was running very late - Torre das Vargens (14:42/14:48, not crossing train 5500) - Portalegre (15:27/15:34, crossing train 5500) - Badajoz 17:26; 1736 (IC193/MD37393 RENFE DL 334003+334004+Talgo set) - stopped outside Badajoz for 10 minutes, no apparent reason - via high speed line – connection off HSL into Montijo Station (17:53/18:06, 12 late) - connection onto HSL - connection onto old line - Mérida 18:10 (arr 15 late); 20:25 (ALVIA194/MD37394 RENFE EDMU 730XXX) - via HSL throughout - Badajoz 20:55. Overnight Hotel Mercure Rio Badajoz.
Heading home the long way around, via Spain..... firstly via Entroncamento to Badajoz to cover the cross-border route that only has two train pairs per day (only recently increased from one pair per day). Then a trip from Badajoz to Mérida and back to cover the new high speed line here and its connections.
Route: Porto São Bento 09:50 (U15723 CP EMU 3413) - Porto Campanhã 09:55 7; 10:38 (IC720 CP EL 5618 dep 6 late) - delayed due to overrunning engineering works again! Couldn’t find my reserved coach 1 – found out that my reserved seat was on the following relief train, which bizarrely had the same departure time and train number on the reservation message! Alighted at Espinho to wait for the correct train - Espinho 11:02 (arr 14 late); 11:08 (20750 CP Alfa Pendular set 010 dep 17 late) - Entroncamento 13:00 (arr 27 late); 13:36 (R5503 CP DR 0365) - opposite train 5500 was running very late - Torre das Vargens (14:42/14:48, not crossing train 5500) - Portalegre (15:27/15:34, crossing train 5500) - Badajoz 17:26; 1736 (IC193/MD37393 RENFE DL 334003+334004+Talgo set) - stopped outside Badajoz for 10 minutes, no apparent reason - via high speed line – connection off HSL into Montijo Station (17:53/18:06, 12 late) - connection onto HSL - connection onto old line - Mérida 18:10 (arr 15 late); 20:25 (ALVIA194/MD37394 RENFE EDMU 730XXX) - via HSL throughout - Badajoz 20:55. Overnight Hotel Mercure Rio Badajoz.
Porto Campanhã
Entroncamento
Portalegre
Portalegre
Elvas
Badajoz
Mérida
Mérida
Mérida
Mérida
Mérida
Mérida
Mérida
Badajoz
Badajoz