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[Portugal] Old locomotive will be refurbished back to operation.

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Giugiaro

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All trains from Porto to Pocinho from July 12 onwards will be made with loco-hauled trains. Namely English Electrics.


Daily, from today forwards:

IR 861IR 865IR 869IR 875
Porto São Bento
09:20​
13:20​
Porto Campanhã
07:25​
09:24​
13:24​
17:25​
Régua
09:16​
11:11​
15:14​
19:26​
Pocinho
10:44​
12:38​
16:41​
20:53​

IR 862IR 866IR 868IR 876
Pocinho
07:08​
11:08​
13:08​
17:20​
Régua
08:33​
12:35​
14:33​
18:45​
Porto Campanhã
10:30​
14:30​
16:35​
20:34​
Porto São Bento
20:40​

 
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30907

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Daily, from today forwards:

IR 861IR 865IR 869IR 875
Porto São Bento
09:20​
13:20​
Porto Campanhã
07:25​
09:24​
13:24​
17:25​
Régua
09:16​
11:11​
15:14​
19:26​
Pocinho
10:44​
12:38​
16:41​
20:53​

IR 862IR 866IR 868IR 876
Pocinho
07:08​
11:08​
13:08​
17:20​
Régua
08:33​
12:35​
14:33​
18:45​
Porto Campanhã
10:30​
14:30​
16:35​
20:34​
Porto São Bento
20:40​

Out of interest, how are loco hauled trains at Sao Bento worked? I don't recall seeing a release crossover - is a turnover engine provided or are they propelled through the tunnel?
 

Richard Scott

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3,673
Out of interest, how are loco hauled trains at Sao Bento worked? I don't recall seeing a release crossover - is a turnover engine provided or are they propelled through the tunnel?
Think I read that either a 1400 or 5600 will shunt release.
 

BahrainLad

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A slightly tangential question, but are there any plans to improve the service from Lisbon to the south? Either by increasing Alfa services (always seems busy when I use it) or improving the line quality (almost exclusively single line south of the Poceirao junction and extremely twisty in places).
 

Giugiaro

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Valongo - Portugal
A slightly tangential question, but are there any plans to improve the service from Lisbon to the south?

Here is an inherent problem with the Portuguese railway system: It is underequipped and doesn't have any kind of strategy whatsoever (or there's a lot of hesitation to invest in one).
Many long waiting infrastructures projects are so delayed, they make the Elizabeth Line seem ahead of schedule!

For the 2020 milestone, there are no plans for the Southern Line (Linha do Sul) besides the already built Alcácer Shortcut, which is prepared for track doubling.
The only intervention planned in the short run is the electrification of the Algarve Line, between Lagos and Vila Real de Santo António.

Supposedly there is a research paper about the section of line between Ermidas-Sado and Tunes, but Infraestruturas de Portugal refuses to publish the document (among similar ones for other corridors).

Concerning the Alfa service... Every day at least 7 Pendolinos are in service, for a fleet total of 10 EMUs. Too little a number to allow any significant changes to the current offering, especially given the fact that the maintenance is carried out in Entroncamento and Porto. There's obviously a North bias.
 

Giugiaro

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Valongo - Portugal
The last batch of 15 coaches heading to Portugal suffered a bit of an issue...

Images have circulated on WhatsApp, from an unknown author, of a derailment of those coaches at Fuencarral.

This is also the fourth Spanish derailment in just two days.

1596185742418.png

1596185751335.png

1596185854918.png

1596185876107.png

1596185920087.png
 
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CC 72100

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Oops.

Any further news on the acquisition of ex-SNCF Corail driving coaches?

Given the vast amounts of spare Corail coaches following recent withdrawals, and even going back a couple of years places like Villenueve-Saint-Georges having a fair few rakes of them, you'd think it would be a buyer's market with them having very little further use in France, apart from for spares.
 

SHD

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Second-hand Corail driving trailers will need serious upgrading anyway to be mated with CP 5600, as the ones laying around use a proprietary 4-wire reversibility system, designed for the now-defunct BB Jacquemin locomotives (BB 9200 / BB 16100 / BB 25200).
 

JonasB

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Here is an inherent problem with the Portuguese railway system: It is underequipped and doesn't have any kind of strategy whatsoever (or there's a lot of hesitation to invest in one).
Many long waiting infrastructures projects are so delayed, they make the Elizabeth Line seem ahead of schedule!

This might derail the thread a bit, but what rail infrastructure projects are being built or planned in Portugal? I must admit I don't know much about the Portugese railways, but I'm still hoping for a Madrid-Lisbon high speed line!
 

Gag Halfrunt

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Oops.

Any further news on the acquisition of ex-SNCF Corail driving coaches?

Given the vast amounts of spare Corail coaches following recent withdrawals, and even going back a couple of years places like Villenueve-Saint-Georges having a fair few rakes of them, you'd think it would be a buyer's market with them having very little further use in France, apart from for spares.
I've read that SNCF prefer to scrap surplus rolling stock to prevent potential competitors getting hold of it.
 

Giugiaro

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Any further news on the acquisition of ex-SNCF Corail driving coaches?

CP is mainly interested in the SNCF Corail driving trailers.
At the moment the priority is to get all 51 Spanish coaches in Guifões in line for refurbishment, including the 15 involved in the Fuencarral derailment.

Since the line between Fuentes de Oñoro and Salamanca will be closed for refurbishment, starting today, the last batch will now have to enter the country via Valença or Elvas.

This might derail the thread a bit, but what rail infrastructure projects are being built or planned in Portugal? I must admit I don't know much about the Portugese railways, but I'm still hoping for a Madrid-Lisbon high speed line!

The plan in execution is the Ferrovia 2020
Among a few (waiting for decades) repairs, light refurbishments and electrifications, there's a brand new line being built between Évora and Badajoz (Spain).
A far cry from the Lisbon to Badajoz/Madrid HSR, since this line is being built with cargo trains in mind.
 

JKF

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This might derail the thread a bit, but what rail infrastructure projects are being built or planned in Portugal? I must admit I don't know much about the Portugese railways, but I'm still hoping for a Madrid-Lisbon high speed line!

There are no current high speed passenger plans, these were shelved after the 2008 financial crisis, previously plans were for high speed Porto-Lisbon & connection to Spain. There are a few newer diversions/upgraded sections from around that time where 220km/hr running can be achieved using the Alfa Pendular tiliting trains (local and better looking version of the Pendolino)

Recent/current projects have seen the Minho line up to a Valença electrified plus part of the Douro line. New freight line under construction as mentioned above, plus refurbishment of a mothballed line as part of the route. This freight connection to Spain is designed for long container trains, but is being built to Iberian gauge with ability to be converted to standard gauge eventually (there was talk of converting the whole network I think by 2030 but not much sign of progress). Much of the money for this is coming from the EU, domestic funds are limited.

There was also an article I read last year stating that the northern section of the Vouga metre-gauge line was proposed to be converted to Iberian gauge and included in the Porto local network, but haven’t heard much more on this so may just be feasibility study or political kite-flying. It’s a very winding and lumpy route so it’d be interesting to see how it could be converted without significant realignment (Plus exactly how they connect up at Espinho given the standard gauge station is now buried in a hole..!).
 

JonasB

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The plan in execution is the Ferrovia 2020
Among a few (waiting for decades) repairs, light refurbishments and electrifications, there's a brand new line being built between Évora and Badajoz (Spain).
A far cry from the Lisbon to Badajoz/Madrid HSR, since this line is being built with cargo trains in mind.
Recent/current projects have seen the Minho line up to a Valença electrified plus part of the Douro line. New freight line under construction as mentioned above, plus refurbishment of a mothballed line as part of the route. This freight connection to Spain is designed for long container trains, but is being built to Iberian gauge with ability to be converted to standard gauge eventually (there was talk of converting the whole network I think by 2030 but not much sign of progress). Much of the money for this is coming from the EU, domestic funds are limited.

Thank you for the information! Glad to hear that something is happening at least. And building lines that can easily be converted to standard gauge sounds like a good idea for future upgrades.
 

Giugiaro

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Between next Wednesday to Friday, the last batch of Spanish cars will have another attempt to arrive in Portugal.

The border crossing will now be done through Valença, on the Minho Line, and will be carried out by two English Electrics Class 1400.

The train will be missing one Corail 96-28, left in Madrid for inspection and, if possible, repair.
 

37201xoIM

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Was Corail 96-28 by any chance the one that RENFE managed to put off the road...?

A pair of 1400s on a load like that should be quite a prospect - hope somebody films it!
 

JKF

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I’d be up there trying to film it if I hadn’t had to come home two weeks early for quarantine! I’m hoping all will be well next summer and I can have a good session playing on the trains, 1400s on the Douro and 2600s on the Minho has to be done.
 

Giugiaro

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Given the deal to buy 51 cars from Spain, the need to modernize Sorefame built cars was eventually dropped.
Today, 15 of those cars stored in Contumil (Porto) were taken to Entroncamento to free up space up North.

Another batch will be sent over, soon, to empty up the railyard at Contumil.

At the time there is no telling about what's going to be the fate of these silver-plated coaches.

 

Giugiaro

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I haven't seen these many English Electrics running in so many years...

Today, at Contumil, during the arrival of the last batch of Spanish cars:

 

JKF

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That’s great seeing so many at work! I’ve seen a lot of videos today of the pair of 1400s on the Spanish coaches, load 14 so working hard.
 

Giugiaro

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The three prototype units of the renewed ex-Arcos are expected to be delivered by the end of January 2021.
All cars have had its asbestos removed and are now awaiting their turn to the workshop.

The new livery was leaked on a tender specification:

1606762512741.png

And here is a recent picture of the cars work-in-progress:

IMG_20201125_173041.jpg




Regarding the remaining stock, here are a few details:

- The number of CP Class 2600 electric locomotives to be recovered is now of 21, with the last ones returning to the track in 2023;
- All Schindler cars, (except for the one in the Portuguese National Railway Museum [MNF]) will be recovered back to service and are expected to be fully running in 2021;
- Schindler car Nr. 21-22 040 was painted in vintage 1940's livery, and there's the possibility that the last three cars (which are designated museum cars) will also be repainted this way;
- CP Class 9630 Narrow Gauge DMUs will be modernized in 2023 and converted into hydrogen fuel-cell multiple units. The first prototype of the system will feature an Allan CP Class 9300 DMU;
- CP Class 0450 DMUs will be modernized in 2022, but their traction technology is yet undecided;
- The refurbishment of Sorefame cars has been postponed into after the recovery of all Spanish cars, and will only feature 22-40 cars;
- Some additional vintage Sorefame cars will be recovered after the recovery of the Schindler cars has been finished, and will only feature 1st class cars;
- CP is in negotiations with SNCF to buy Corail driving units. The conversion of Sorefame luggage cars into driving units will be completely dropped if the deal goes ahead;
- All existing Narrow Gauge Napoli cars (except for the one in the MNF) will be recovered back to service and feature in the Vouga Line as part of the Historical Train;
- Other random cars and wagons will also be recovered to feature alongside the Vouga Historical Train;
- Some additional Narrow Gauge steam locomotives will also be recovered back to steam for the Vouga Line, of which one is a Class E140 Mikado locomotive;
- Still in the Narrow Gauge, one Allan CP 9300 DMU unit has been brought back to working condition and has already been tested in Sernada do Vouga.

PANO_20201130_130923.jpg 1606765195767.png
 
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JKF

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Amazing to hear about the recovered narrow gauge stock - would be nice if one of the Douro branches could be reinstated for historic stock on tourist trains.
 
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