Trip to Portugal and Spain - November 2022
General Notes
Twelve days away in Portugal and Spain, mainly to travel on the PTG Tours "Portugal - The Return" trip between Sunday 6th and Saturday 12th November 2022. I planned "side trips" to Vigo in Spain on Saturday 5th, and across Portugal and Spain to return home from Alicante on Tuesday 15th. As my only previous rail journeys in Portugal were between Faro and Vila Real in December 2006, the whole time spent in Portugal, and most of the sections in Spain, were "required".
Operating Company Abbreviations:
- CP - Comboios de Portugal (operator of Portuguese main line and suburban trains)
- ML - Metropolitano de Lisboa (operator of the Metro in Lisboa)
- RENFE - Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (principal train operator in Spain)
Track gauge
1524 mm gauge unless otherwise stated.
| Place | Arrive | Depart | Train | Traction details & notes |
Friday 4 November 2022
| Timperley | 07:03 | Metrolink tram 3058+3042 (standard gauge) | ||
| Altrincham | 07:08 | 07:15 | '288' | Bus |
| Manchester Airport (MAN) | 07:40 | 10:00 | EZY1819 | Easyjet G-EZDF delayed departure due to Spanish ATC restriction due to Chinese Space Rocket risk; push-back 11:26, take-off 11:37 from runway 23R |
| Lisbon Airport (LIS) | 12:55 | landed 13:47 on runway 02, on stand 13:52 | ||
| Aeropuerto | 14:46 | Linha Vermelha | ML metro | |
| Lisboa Oriente | 14:53 | 16:39 | IC525 | .CP EL 5608 - Porto Campanhã 19:53 (arr 20:04). |
| Porto Campanhã | 19:53 | arr 11 late Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Lisboa Oriente - Porto Campanhã. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel in Porto. | ||||
| Notes Heading out to Portugal by air from Manchester to Lisboa, then by train to Porto. |
||||
Saturday 5 November 2022
| Porto-Campanhã | 08:13 | C421 | CP DMU 592-220/210/219 | |
| Vigo Guixar | 11:35 | walked up the hill to Vigo Urzáiz station and back again, looking at former railway alignment | ||
| Vigo Guixar | 15:02 | R12538 | RENFE DMU 599 set 009 via diesel route; not via Portela; via Catoira | |
| Santiago de Compostela | 16:34 | 17:30 | MD9173 | RENFE EMU 121 set 003 via AC electrified route |
| Vigo Urzáiz | 18:20 | walk down the hill | ||
| Vigo Guixar | 19:56 | C422 | CP DMU 592-220/210/219 unit failed at departure, replaced by: | |
| Vigo Guixar | 19:56 | C422 | RENFE DMU 594 set 101 dep 20:45 | |
| Valença | 20:24 | 20:23 | IR856 | CP EL 2607+2C dep 5 late |
| Porto Campanhã | 22:30 | 22:45 | arr 7 late - CP EMU 3433 | |
| Porto São Bento | 22:50 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Porto-Campanhã - Vigo Guixar; Vigo Guixar - diesel route - Catoira - Santiago de Compostela; Santiago de Compostela - AC electrified route - Vigo Urzáiz; Porto Campanhã - Porto São Bento. | ||||
| Overnight: PTG Hotel: Porto Peninsular Hotel, close to São Bento station. | ||||
| Notes Porto to Vigo to do this northerly cross-border route between Portugal and Spain, which only has two train pairs per day, and the two routes between Vigo and Santiago de Compostela (one mostly diesel and one electric). The return train from Vigo to Porto failed at Vigo and for a while I was at risk of missing the start of the next day's railtour, but a replacement train was found to get us across the border to connect into an internal Portuguese service train. |
||||
Sunday 6 November 2022
| Porto São Bento | 09:15 | 13811 | CP DL 1461 + 1436 (Dead) +3C+ EL 2609 (Dead) PTG tour train | |
| Porto Campanhã | 09:21 | 09:25 | 13830 | CP EL 2609 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) + DL 1461 (Dead) PTG tour train - departure delayed until 10:37 by overrunning engineering works; affected all today’s workings |
| Aveiro | 10:25 | arr 11:46 | ||
| Aveiro-Vouga | 10:55 | 13830 | CP DMU 9633 + 9636 (metre gauge) PTG tour train dep 12:15 | |
| Sernada do Vouga | 11:55 | 12:25 | 13832 | CP DL 9004 + 3C (metre gauge) PTG tour train arr 13:16; dep 13:27 |
| Aveiro-Vouga | 13:49 | arr 14:37 | ||
| Aveiro | 14:04 | 13833 | CP DL 1461 + 1436 (Dead) +3C+ EL 2609 (Dead) PTG tour train dep 14:48 | |
| Via Averio yard (rev 14:54/15:01) – Aveiro docks branch km 8.5 (rev 15:20/15:30) – Aveiro yard (rev 16:10/16:23) | ||||
| Aveiro | 16:29 | 15:33 | 13840 | CP EL 2609 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) + DL 1461 (Dead) PTG tour train dep 16:33 |
| Coimbra-B | 16:13 | 16:25 | 13841 | CP EL 2609 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) + DL 1461 (Dead) PTG tour train dep 17:25 |
| Coimbra | 17:30 | 16:50 | 13842 | CP DL 1461 + 1436 (Dead) +3C+ EL 2609 (Dead) PTG tour train dep 17:40 |
| Coimbra-B | 17:45 | 17:04 | 13844 | CP EL 2609 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) + DL 1461 (Dead) PTG tour train dep 17:46 |
| Via Granja do Ulmeiro Alfarelos (18:18/18:25) - Entroncamento 18:19 (arr 19:24); PTG coach to Hotel | ||||
| Entroncamento | 18:24 | arr 19:24 - PTG coach to Hotel Today's photos | ||
| Hotel Dos Templarios, Tomar | ??:?? | |||
| New passenger track today: Porto Campanhã - Aveiro - Coimbra-B - Entroncamento; Aveiro-Vouga - Sernada do Vouga; Coimbra-B - Coimbra. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Aveiro docks branch. | ||||
| Overnight: PTG Hotel: Hotel Dos Templarios, Tomar. | ||||
| Notes Day 1 of the PTG railtour. Not the best of starts as over-running engineering works south of Porto delayed us by about 70 minutes. |
||||
Monday 7 November 2022
| Tomar | 09:08 | 13846 | CP EL 2609 +3C+ DL 1557 (Dead) PTG tour train | |
| Entroncamento | 09:32 | 09:40 | 13847 | CP DL 1557 +3C+ EL 2609 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Ródão | 11:23 | |||
| Via shunt to branch track (11:45) – paper mill branch (reverse 12:05/12:45) – Ródão (shunt, arr 12:55, reverse) | ||||
| Ródão | 12:20 | 13849 | CP DL 1557 +3C+ EL 2609 (Dead) PTG tour train | |
| Castelo Branco | 12:45 | 14:02 | 13851 | (lunch break) CP DL 1557 +3C+ EL 2609 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Via Guarda avoiding curve, first passenger train? |
||||
| Vilar Formoso | 16:35 | 17:20 | 13852 | CP EL 2609 +3C+ DL 1557 (Dead) PTG tour train arr 55 late / dep 37 late |
| Guarda | 17:52 | 18:22 | 13854 | CP DL 1557 +3C+ EL 2609 (Dead) PTG tour train arr 66 late / dep 48 late |
| Covilhã | 19:00 | arr 51 late Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Tomar - Entroncamento; Entroncamento - Abrantes - Ródão - Guarda; Guarda - Vilar Formoso. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Ródão paper mill branch; Guarda avoiding curve. | ||||
| Overnight: PTG Hotel: Hotel Dona Maria, Covilhã. | ||||
| Notes Day 2 of the PTG Railtour. |
||||
Tuesday 8 November 2022
| Covilhã | 09:30 | 13856 | CP DL 1557 +3C+ EL 2609 (Dead) PTG tour train | |
| Via Tortosendo (09:37/09:44) - Fundão (09:58/10:11) - Vale Prazeres (10:22/10:28) - Castelo Blanco (arr 11:02, cross IC train, dep 11:16 8 late) - Belver (arr 12:12 13 late, cross local train, dep 12:40 37 late) | ||||
| Entroncamento | 12:56 | on station bypass line (arr 13:37, dep 14:17) | ||
| Shunt to Entroncamento containerbase (rev 14:33/14:38) | ||||
| Entroncamento | 15:02 | 15:05 | 13858/9 | CP DL 1461 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) PTG tour train dep 57 late |
| Via Setíl (north curve) – Vendas Novas (west curve) – Poceirão – Pinhal Novo | ||||
| Barriero | 17:30 | 17:40 | 13861 | CP DL 1436 +3C+ DL 1461 (Dead) PTG tour train arr 58 late, dep 58 late |
| Setúbal | 18:04 | arr 58 late Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Entroncamento - Setil north curve Jn; Vendas Novas west curve Jn - Poceirão – Pinhal Novo; Pinhal Novo - Barriero; Pinhal Novo - Setúbal. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Setil north curve Jn - Vendas Novas west curve Jn. | ||||
| Overnight: PTG Hotel: Hotel Melia, Setúbal (1st of 3 nights). | ||||
| Notes Day 3 of the PTG Railtour. |
||||
Wednesday 9 November 2022
| Setúbal | 09:20 | 13863 | CP DL 1436 +3C+ DL 1461 (Dead) PTG tour train | |
| Via Águas Moura west/south curve - Alcacer do Sal (10:11/10:20) | ||||
| Tunes | 13:25 | 14:00 | 13866 | CP DL 1461 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Lagos | 14:49 | 16:10 | 13867 | CP DL 1436 +3C+ DL 1461 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Tunes | 16:55 | 17:25 | 13868 | CP DL 1461 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Via Alcacer do Sal (19:43) - Águas Moura south/west curve | ||||
| Setúbal | 20:25 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Setúbal - Praias do Sado; Águas Moura south curve Jn - Pinheiro; Grândola - Tunes; Tunes - Lagos. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Praias do Sado - Águas Moura west/south curve; Pinheiro - Alcacer do Sal - Grândola. | ||||
| Overnight: PTG Hotel: Hotel Melia, Setúbal (2nd of 3 nights). | ||||
| Notes Day 4 of the PTG Railtour. |
||||
Thursday 10 November 2022
| Setúbal | 08:29 | CP EMU 2271 dep 7 late, unadvertised set down at Praias do Sado | ||
| Praias do Sado A | 08:36 | 08:42 | CP EMU 2271 arr 8 late, dep 7 late, no stop at Praias do Sado | |
| Setúbal | 08:49 | 09:32 | 13871/0 | CP DL 1436 +3C+ DL 1461 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Via Águas Moura west/north – Bif. Águalva – Poceirão - Casa Branca | ||||
| Beja | 11:50 | 13:55 | 13872 | CP DL 1461 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Casa Branca | 14:40 | 15:05 | 13873 | CP DL 1436 +3C+ DL 1461 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Évora | 15:25 | 15:45 | 13874/5 | CP DL 1461 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Via Casa Branca – Poceirão – Pinhal Novo – Coina | ||||
| Siderurgia (steelworks branch) | 17:34 | 17:50 | 13876/7 | CP DL 1436 +3C+ DL 1461 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Via Coina – Pinhal Novo - Bif. Águalva - Águas Moura north/west - Praias do Sado east/south curve | ||||
| Praias do Sado docks | 18:46 | 19:03 | 13878 | CP DL 1461 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) PTG tour train |
| Via Praias do Sado south/west curve | ||||
| Setúbal | 19:09 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Praias do Sado - Praias do Sado A; Águas Moura north Jn - Bif. Águalva; Vendas Novas west curve Jn - Casa Branca; Casa Branca - Beja; Casa Branca - Évora; Pinhal Novo - Coina; Bif. Águalva - Águas Moura north Jn. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Águas Moura west/north curve; Bif. Águalva – Poceirão; Coina - Siderurgia (steelworks branch); Praias do Sado east/south curve - Praias do Sado docks; Praias do Sado south/west curve. | ||||
| Overnight: PTG Hotel: Hotel Melia, Setúbal (3rd of 3 nights). | ||||
| Notes Day 5 of the PTG Railtour; preceded by the short run on a suburban service train to Praias do Sado A station and back, that being on a short branch at a lower level off the through line. |
||||
Friday 11 November 2022
| Setúbal | 10:12 | 13960/1 | CP DL 1461 +3C+ DL 1436 (Dead) PTG tour train | |
| Via Pinhal Novo - 25th of April Bridge - Campolide-A – extreme western line – Benfica – Águalva-Cacém – Linha do Oeste | ||||
| Caldas da Rainha | 13:05 | 14:59 | 13881 | CP DL 1436 + 1461 + 3C PTG tour train |
| Via Almieira – Verride – Alfarelos – Coimbra-B – Pampilhosa – Aveiro - Espinho | ||||
| Porto Campanhã | 20:10 | ??:?? | CP EMU 3149 | |
| Porto São Bento | ??:?? | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Coina - Campolide-A; Benfica – Águalva-Cacém - Caldas da Rainha - Almieira – Verride - Alfarelos. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Campolide-A – extreme western line – Benfica. | ||||
| Overnight: PTG Hotel: Legendary Hotel, Porto (1st of 2 nights). | ||||
| Notes Day 6 of the PTG Railtour. |
||||
Saturday 12 November 2022
| Porto São Bento | 08:20 | 21861 | CP DL 1429 + 4C | |
| Pocinho | 11:50 | 13:08 | 868 | explore old lines CP DL 1429 + 4C |
| Tua | 13:50 | 16:04 | 21860 | explore old lines CP DL 1432 + 4C |
| Régua | 16:48 | 18:41 | 876 | evening meal CP DL 1432 + 4C |
| Porto São Bento | 20:30 | arr 9 late Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Ermesinde - Pocinho. | ||||
| Overnight: PTG Hotel: Legendary Hotel, Porto (2nd of 2 nights). | ||||
| Notes Day 7 of the PTG trip: no railtour today, but tickets were provided for service trains on the Douro Valley line to Pocinho. Enthusiasts familiar with the line had told me that it was very scenic, but I am always wary of this as I've travelled over some very scenic lines in the Balkans. However the line didn't disappoint, there was some opportunity for exploring old lines, and all to the accompaniment of English Electric 8CVST action on all the trains. An excellent day. |
||||
Sunday 13 November 2022
| Porto São Bento | 09:50 | U15723 | CP EMU 3413 | |
| Porto Campanhã | 09:55 | 10:38 | IC720 | CP EL 5618 |
| 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 | 11:08 | 20750 | CP Alfa Pendular set 010 arr 14 late, dep 17 late |
| Entroncamento | 13:00 | 13:36 | R5503 | CP DR 0365 arr 27 late |
| 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 | 17:36 | IC193/MD37393 | RENFE DL 334 003+334 004+Talgo set |
| Stopped outside Badajoz for 10 minutes, no apparent reason - via high speed line – connection off High Speed Line into Montijo Station (17:53/18:06, dep 12 late) - connection onto High Speed Line - connection onto old line | ||||
| Mérida | 18:10 | 20:25 | Alvia194/MD37394 | RENFE EDMU class 730 set XXX |
| Via HSL throughout | ||||
| Badajoz | 20:55 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Abrantes - Badajoz; Badajoz - Mérida including all connections on and off the high speed line. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Mercure Rio, Badajoz. | ||||
| Notes 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. |
||||
Monday 14 November 2022
| Badajoz | 06:58 | MD18331 | RENFE DMU 599 089/x/x | |
| Via Mérida - Puertollano (11:06) - Ciudad Real (rev 11:30/11:35, dep 5 late) - Manzanares (12:24/12:26) | ||||
| Alcázar de San Juan | 12:50 | 13:20 | IC694 | RENFE EMU 120 364 dep 29 late |
| Via Albacete Los Llanos (14:22) - classic 3 kV dc line throughout, including rebuilt future 1435 mm high speed line from east of La Encina to Xátiva | ||||
| Valencia Estació del Nord | 16:09 | 18:47 | IC165 | RENFE EL 252 038 + Talgo set |
| Via classic 3 kV line via Xativa – Caudete - Villeña | ||||
| * Alicante Terminal | 20:34 | 20:51 | RENFE DL 334 026 top + Talgo set + 334 025 tail | |
| Via San Gabriel (reverse, 21:02/21:05, operating stop) - Elche Mercancias (21:19/21:22, operating stop) - Elche-Parque (21:22/21:28) - Orihuela Miguel Hernandez (21:47/21:50) - Murcia del Carmen (reverse, 22:06/22:13) | ||||
| Cartagena | 23:11 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: southern and eastern curves into Ciudad Real; Alcázar de San Juan - Albacete Los Llanos - La Encina - Xátiva - Valencia Estació del Nord; La Encina – Caudete - Villeña - Alicante Terminal; broad gauge route Alicante Terminal - San Gabriel - Elche-Parque - Orihuela Miguel Hernandez - Murcia del Carmen. | ||||
| Overnight: Hotel Los Habaneros, Cartagena. | ||||
| Notes Badajoz to Cartagena via Alcázar De San Juan, Valencia, Alicante and Murcia. The only track I needed on the lengthy MD train from Badajoz were the curves in and out of Ciudad Real, as we had used the avoiding curve on a railtour two years ago. The rest was all required track. |
||||
Tuesday 15 November 2022
| Cartagena FEVE | 09:00 | RENFE FEVE DR 2912+2906 (metre gauge) | ||
| Los Nietos | 09:28 | 09:40 | RENFE FEVE DR 2906+2912 (metre gauge) | |
| Cartagena FEVE | 10:08 | |||
| Cartagena | 12:19 | IC264 | RENFE DL 334 025 top, 334 026 tail | |
| Via Murcia del Carmen (reverse, 13:16/13:38) - Crevillente (14:07/14:11, cross DMU) - San Gabriel (reverse, 14:43/14:46, operating stop) | ||||
| Alicante Terminal | 14:44 | short walk to.... | ||
| Luceros | 15:39 | '2' | Alicante tram 4236 (metre gauge) | |
| Sant Vicent del Respeig | 16:06 | 16:11 | '2' | Alicante tram 4236 (metre gauge) |
| Luceros | 16:42 | short walk to.... | ||
| Alicante Terminal (Av. Salamanca) | 18:04 | 'C-6' | bus | |
| Aeropuerto | 18:24 | |||
| Alicante (ALC) | 20:35 | EZY1922 | Easyjet G-EZWI push-back 20:39, take-off 20:51 from runway 10 | |
| Manchester Airport (MAN) | 22:35 | 22:36 | Landed 22:12 on runway 23R, on stand 22:16 | |
| Timperley | 22:52 | |||
| New passenger track today: Cartagena FEVE - Los Nietos; Luceros - Sant Vicent del Respeig. | ||||
| Notes First thing to do was to cover the former FEVE metre gauge route from Cartagena to Los Nietos; then on to Alicante via the same route as yesterday, in daylight this time. Time for a quick tram route then bus to the airport for the flight home. |
||||
Summary
An excellent trip with a well organised railtour days and other travels on the Portuguese and Spanish rail networks.