150th anniversary of railway arriving in Penafiel
A journey featuring historical re-enactments and the unveiling of a sculpture marking the date.
On 29 July, CP - Comboios de Portugal, Infraestruturas de Portugal and the Municipal Councils of Penafiel, Paredes and Valongo marked the 150th anniversary of the train north of the Douro, recreating the arrival of the train in Penafiel.
On a trip between Porto-São Bento and Penafiel, which organisers intended as a symbolic reinterpretation of the inaugural journey, there was room for historical entertainment, with bakers selling regueifa (a type of bread) and distributing biscuits, a newspaper boy announcing the good news of the train’s arrival and readings of texts by local authors. The re-enactments extended to the stations of Ermesinde and Valongo, involving the people who travel on Porto’s urban services on a daily basis. In Penafiel, local residents welcomed the entourage with a party and music, and organisers unveiled a sculpture evoking the arrival of the train in the municipality, marking the historical importance of the railway in the social and economic development of that region.
In this initiative, which celebrated a century and a half of railway history in the region, CêTeatro (Paredes), the Canelas-Bando dos Pardais Theatre Group, the Novelas Theatre Group (Penafiel) and the Ermesinda Academic and Cultural Association (Valongo) provided the re-enactments and cultural notes. Representatives from the municipalities of Paredes, Penafiel and Valongo also participated.
A little history
It was on 29 July 1875 that the first train ran between Porto-São Bento and Penafiel.
The local population had long demanded the Douro Line, and its construction aimed to connect the region, since, at the time, mobility relied on roads that needed improvement and navigation that required careful handling on the River Douro, and ensuring the transport of people and goods was essential.
After the presentation of several projects and much discussion, they published the law authorising its construction on 2 July 1867. On 14 June 1872, authorities issued a new decree ordering the completion of studies for the Douro Line through the Sousa Valley to Penafiel. Authorities opened the first sections to the public in July 1875, another milestone, and by 20 May 1880, the line ran as far as Pinhão.
In the 1990s, the Douro Line underwent extensive refurbishment in the district of Porto, to double the track and electrify the line. In 2019, officials inaugurated electrification between Caíde de Rei and Marco de Canaveses, allowing direct urban trains to run between Porto and Marco de Canaveses, reducing travel times and improving the service provided. The next stage involves electrifying the line to Régua.
Considered one of the masterpieces of Portuguese railway engineering and one of the most important links in the national railway network, the Douro Line is now a regional link connecting Porto to Pocinho, covering more than 170 kilometres.
The Douro Line transported more than 7 million passengers in 2024 (on urban and regional services), and in the first half of 2025, this line has already carried 3.7 million people.
