Porto Sao Bento and Intercity services

[route101]

I was at Porto Sao Bento recently and seen some Intercity sets. Where do these go?

 

[30907]

What do you mean by Intercity? The Douro line has loco hauled trains with refurbished stock ..

 

[Beebman]

I visited Porto the week before last and I popped into Sao Bento around 13:00 to see what was about. I remember seeing an IR train hauled by a 26xx with a/c stock which was ready to depart for Valença.

 

[Giugiaro]

For some time IR services to and from Valença may be done using Corail stock due to issues relating to the more complex Arco stock.

 

[route101]

Nice to see some proper haulage in Sao Bento.

 

[Alanko]

Nice to see some proper haulage in Sao Bento.

I took a couple of trains from Lisbon Santa Apolónia recently. In both cases it was an IC service comprising large Sorfame-built stainless steel carriages hauled by Siemens CP Class 5600 locomotives. It was almost like being on a boat in a calm sea; pulling away from stations was so smooth that I didn't perceive any movement, just the scenery moving outside. Incredibly smooth acceleration and ride, getting up to some impressive speeds as we barrelled through the Portuguese hinterland.

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[Beebman]

I took a couple of trains from Lisbon Santa Apolónia recently. In both cases it was an IC service comprising large Sorfame-built stainless steel carriages hauled by Siemens CP Class 5600 locomotives. It was almost like being on a boat in a calm sea; pulling away from stations was so smooth that I didn't perceive any movement, just the scenery moving outside. Incredibly smooth acceleration and ride, getting up to some impressive speeds as we barrelled through the Portuguese hinterland.

When I was in Porto I took a ride behind 1438 along the Douro Valley to Pocinho and back on a service where the Schlieren vehicles had been augmented by a Sorefame stainless steel coach (an older non-a/c type) which I chose to ride in. Admittedly speeds were quite slow (apart from around 100 km/h between Porto and Ermesinde) but I found the coach rode very smoothly and it had good comfortable seats for the 3.5 hour journey each way.

 

[Alanko]

When I was in Porto I took a ride behind 1438 along the Douro Valley to Pocinho and back on a service where the Schlieren vehicles had been augmented by a Sorefame stainless steel coach (an older non-a/c type) which I chose to ride in. Admittedly speeds were quite slow (apart from around 100 km/h between Porto and Ermesinde) but I found the coach rode very smoothly and it had good comfortable seats for the 3.5 hour journey each way.

Some hellfire speeds behind a big Class 20! Must have sounded pretty good?


Portugal is another world for railways. Self-disembarking passengers, passengers crossing the tracks in rural stations, trains leaving stations with doors open and lots of open access to the lineside. The ORR wouldn't like any of it!

 

[route101]

Some hellfire speeds behind a big Class 20! Must have sounded pretty good?


Portugal is another world for railways. Self-disembarking passengers, passengers crossing the tracks in rural stations, trains leaving stations with doors open and lots of open access to the lineside. The ORR wouldn't like any of it!

I am surprised Portugal is like that, certainly not like this in Spain or France. When I took the loco hauled service from Porto to Pocinho a few weeks back, the guard made sure all the doors were closed. Didn't see any people walking on the track. Compared to some places in SE Europe, there seems to be an effort with health and safety.

When I was in Porto I took a ride behind 1438 along the Douro Valley to Pocinho and back on a service where the Schlieren vehicles had been augmented by a Sorefame stainless steel coach (an older non-a/c type) which I chose to ride in. Admittedly speeds were quite slow (apart from around 100 km/h between Porto and Ermesinde) but I found the coach rode very smoothly and it had good comfortable seats for the 3.5 hour journey each way.

Quite a few of the Douro valley loco hauled services had a stainless steel coach in the composition. Are the newer intercides coaches allowed on the Douro valley services?

 

[Giugiaro]

Quite a few of the Douro valley loco hauled services had a stainless steel coach in the composition. Are the newer intercides coaches allowed on the Douro valley services?

The Class 1400 isn't powerful enough to run the AVAC system of the Arco or InterCity stock. They always require a generator wagon and additional personnel.