Reflected in the river Douro, No. 1461 approaches Ferradosa with the 09.20 Porto São Bento to Pocinho on May 20.
CHARLES HINTON
THE newly electrified ‘Minho Line’ from Porto to Valença and the Spanish border was officially opened by Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa on April 26.
Electric trains have replaced DMUs and several of Portuguese Railways (CP) Class 2600 electric locos, built by Alsthom based on the similar French BB15000 design in 1974-75, have been reinstated after nine years in storage and are now working some of the regional trains on the line; in June four daily diagrams for the class were being operated.
Following electrification, a through Valença-Lisbon intercity service has been introduced, removing the need to change in Porto. In the longer term, electrically-hauled freight is expected to use the line to and from Spain, although initially a shortage of Iberian gauge dual voltage locos able to operate from 25kV AC in Portugal and 3kV DC in Spain limits this. The Porto-Vigo international passenger service remains DMU operated for the same reason.