The original idea of the Western Line was to link Lisbon to Figueira da Foz, via Torres Vedras and Caldas da Rainha. The countryside and the service itself have changed a lot since 1888, when the line was opened. The line now begins in Meleças/Mira-Sintra station near Cacém, while the Lisbon-Cacém stretch is considered to be part of the Sinra Line. There are, nevertheless, frequent trains running out of Lisbon-Oriente, Campolide and Roma-Areeiro.

The Western line runs for about 200 km up to Figueira, though the two halves of the journey, with Caldas da Rainha in the middle, are quite different from each other. Strangely enough, although the first part of the journey through the area is around the modern capital of Lisbon, the design and feeling of the stations is decidedly 19th century. You just have to look at the iron porches protecting the platforms, the characteristic two-storey station buildings and the writing on the station name plates to see into the past.

You are now deep in glazed tile country, at least until you reach Caldas. The stations are decorated in style. First, Mafra with tiles designed by Carlos Mourinho, Gomes and Salvador in 1934. Then, Outeiro where there is a rather curious depiction of the 1808 battle between the French on one side and the English and Portuguese on the other drawn by J. Oliveira, who also created the famous tile panels for Pinhão station on the Douro Line. Bombarral is covered with the obligatory images of wine-making made by Jorge Pinto in 1930. Óbidos station shows some aspects of the World-heritage town made by J. Victória Pereira in 1943, while Caldas da Rainha was decorated by Carlos Aleluia in 1924.

Leiria station, where you can get a good view of the elegant castle, is a special case in terms of decoration since the glazed tiles that were produced in 1935 were made by a well known trio: Ernesto Korrodi (the Swiss architect that is closely connected to the town), Leopoldo Battistini (who also decorated the Alentejo stations of Cabeço de Vide and Fronteira) and Luís Fernandes.

After leaving the Leiria pine forest we start to get into the meadows alongside the Mondego tributaries. There is an important fork in the line at Lares where the right hand branches off to Alfarelos linking Figueira da Foz to Coimbra. This stretch of line was opened in 1891 and joined the Northern and Western Lines which were the two most important railways lines of the time together.

Right next and with the end of the journey almost in sight, there is another high point of the journey: the crossing of the long metal bridge over the Mondego. Figueira station looks like it was designed more to serve the port than the town. Despite being some way from the middle of town, it is quite easy to get to the town centre and the promenade on foot.