| Box Width: | auto |
| Linha do Douro | |
| Type: | Commuter rail Regional rail |
| Status: | Operational |
| Locale: | Distrito do Porto Distrito de Vila Real Distrito de Bragança Distrito da Guarda |
| Start: | Ermesinde |
| End: | Pocinho |
| Stations: | 44 (Ermesinde–Pocinho) |
| Open: | Stages between 1875 and 1887 |
| Owner: | Infraestruturas de Portugal |
| Operator: | Comboios de Portugal (passenger) Medway (freight) |
| Depot: | Porto - Contumil |
| Stock: | CP 1400 CP 592.0 / 592.2 Medway 1400 Medway 1900 Medway 1960 Medway 335.0 Medway 5600 Medway 4700 |
| Linelength: | 1600NaN0 |
| Tracks: | 2 (Ermesinde - Caíde) 1 (Caíde - Pocinho) |
| Electrification: | 25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE (Ermesinde to Marco de Canavezes) |
| Speed: | Maximum 1400NaN0 |
| Signalling: | Automatic with Orientable Block (Ermesinde to Caíde) Telephonic (Caíde to Pocinho) |
| Location on the network | |
| + Ermesinde × Pocinho |
The Douro line (Portuguese: Linha do Douro) is a 99-mile (160 km) railway line in northern Portugal that runs from Ermesinde to the eastern terminus at Pocinho. The line runs close to the Douro River for much of its route, offering scenic views of the river and valley. Passenger trains are operated by Comboios de Portugal (CP) and run between Porto São Bento and Pocinho, taking 3 hours and 20 minutes. Freight trains operated by Medway also run on the line.
| Section | Length | Opened |
|---|---|---|
| Ermesinde–Penafiel | 30.311 km | |
| Penafiel–Caíde | 7.328 km | |
| Caíde–Juncal | 18.818 km | |
| Juncal–Régua | 38.371 km | |
| Régua–Ferrão | 15.813 km | |
| Ferrão–Pinhão | 7.611 km | |
| Pinhão–Tua | 12.993 km | |
| Tua–Pocinho | 31.678 km | |
| Pocinho–Côa | 9.061 km | |
| Côa–Barca d'Alva | 18.882 km | |
| Continuation to La Fuente de San Esteban | Barca d'Alva–La Fuente de San Esteban railway | |
From west to east, the line runs from the junction at Ermesinde to Pocinho. The line formerly continued east for a further 28 kilometres to the Spanish border. Until 1984, the track connected to a Spanish line, thus allowing through trains to/from Salamanca.
Passenger trains normally run from São Bento station in Porto to Pocinho, with some not running as far as the eastern terminus. The line is built to the Iberian gauge of . The line is single track, apart from a double track section between Ermesinde and Caíde (the authorisation for the dualling work was given by CP in 1993).[1]
In 1984, the Spanish rail operator RENFE announced the closure of its connecting line from La Fuente de San Esteban to the Portuguese border. With the loss of international traffic, CP had to close its line east of Barca d'Alva to Spain. The service was cut back to Pocinho in 1988, which has since remained the eastern terminus of the Douro line.[2]
As of May 2023, there are intentions to reactivate the extension from Pocinho to the border town of Barca d'Alva, with a preliminary study commissioned on May 10th.[3]
There were formerly five metre gauge branch lines connecting with the Douro line, but the last of these closed in 2009. Geographically, from west to east they were: