Beira Baixa Line

Opened on 6 September 1891

Inaugurated on 6 September 1891 by King Carlos and Queen Amélia, the Beira Baixa Line is a 240-kilometre-long electrified single-track railway line connecting the cities of Entroncamento and Guarda, passing through Abrantes, Vila Velha de Ródão, Castelo Branco, Fundão and Covilhã.
Work on the construction of this railway began in December 1885 and progressed in phases and in different sections: the first corresponded to the Abrantes-Rodão section, the second between Rodão and Covilhã, and the third between Covilhã and Guarda. In its original length, from Abrantes to Guarda, the line was about 212 kilometres long.
In January 1876, the Portuguese government launched a tender for the construction of a series of railway connections, including the Beira Baixa Line. Seven years later, it was concessioned to the Royal Portuguese Railway Company. Difficult to build, given the characteristics of the terrain and orography, the Beira Baixa Line required the construction of several engineering structures, notably the Corge bridge and the Gardunha tunnel, as well as the use of a large workforce, estimated to have reached 15,000 workers at the peak of activity.
Six years later, in the summer of 1891, the Abrantes-Rodão and Rodão-Covilhã sections were completed and ready to be inaugurated. In September of that year, the line was opened for commercial operation. The section between Covilhã and Guarda, despite the fact that the construction work was already at an advanced stage, would only be inaugurated two years later. This delay was due in part to the financial crisis that affected Portugal in 1891 and 1892, which led to a slowdown in construction and the consequent halting of work in 1892.
On 11 May 1893, the connection to Guarda and the link with the Beira Alta Line and the border at Vilar Formoso were finally inaugurated.
The arrival of the train, and with it the long-awaited progress, fulfilled the aspirations of an entire region, which was now served by a modern means of transport integrated into the industrial movement of the time, allowing timely access to new markets. This railway line was particularly important, as it closed the circle between the railway connections in the north and centre of the country.
Throughout its centuries-old history to the present day, the Beira Baixa Line and its railway services have undergone modernisation and changes in order to keep pace with the evolution of the national railway sector and respond to the demands of the times.
Noteworthy developments include the introduction of the Intercidades service, electrification of the line, installation of active safety systems and electronic signalling, and the return of the train in April 2021 to the section between Covilhã and Guarda, after a 12-year hiatus. There is also the construction of the Beiras junction, which will directly connect the Beira Baixa line to the Vilar Formoso border on the Beira Alta line.
The importance of the Beira Baixa line has been further reinforced in the 21st century. It is part of the Atlantic Corridor and is one of the priority projects of the European Union's Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
Along its route, the line crosses a territory of unique beauty and varied landscape. From the company of the Tagus River to Vila Velha de Ródão, passing through the foothills of the Gardunha and Estrela mountains, as it enters Cova da Beira. The route ends with the climb to the highest city in mainland Portugal - Guarda. This is often recognised as one of the most beautiful lines in Portugal.