CP presents the Douro line at the Tour&Rail European project conference

A case study on how rail services can generate economic, social and environmental value in rural areas with high tourist appeal.

On 16 June, CP took part in a conference for the European Tour&Rail project, which took place in Florence, under the theme “Low Traffic, High Value: Activating the Potential of Rail Services in Europe’s Rural Areas”.

This European project aims to study and document best practices and success stories on low-traffic regional railway lines in rural areas.

As an associate member, the company took part in the project’s activities, notably by sharing information to include the Douro, Vouga and Beira Baixa lines in an interactive atlas of the socio-economic and tourism potential of lines considered to have low traffic. The Douro line was presented as a success story in the promotion of tourism on low-traffic lines.

The conference provided an opportunity to reflect on the results of this work, coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Madrid in cooperation with Gustave Eiffel University (France), the University of Florence (Italy) and the University of Évora (Portugal), and with the support of the UIC – Union Internationale des Chemins de fer.

During a conference panel dedicated to the Douro line, the company presented it in terms of its infrastructure and services, its route and the regions it passes through, its rolling stock and the development of its services, focusing in particular on those linked to regional mobility and tourism. The panel also featured the participation of Turismo do Porto e Norte, a key stakeholder which shared its vision for the Douro region.

In a final round-table discussion, the Company took part in a discussion on the future of rural railway lines in Europe, alongside the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Trenitalia and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya.