Vouga Line
Águeda
Originally known as Linha do Vale do Vouga, this narrow-track railway line with a length of 140 km, connected the Northern Line, in Espinho, to the Ramal do Dão, in Viseu, merging with the Ramal de Aveiro on arrival in Sernada do Vouga. . It is currently a secondary line where only the section that connects Espinho to Sernada do Vouga remains active, and its services continue through the Aveiro branch, thus only the connections: Aveiro – Águeda and Oliveira de Azeméis – Espinho remain active. Espinho – Oliveira de Azeméis, is also the oldest section of the Vouga Line, having been inaugurated in 1908 by D. Manuel II. The construction of the Aveiro branch was approved a year later and was completed in 1911, when the railway began to operate. The construction of this line and branch brought great local changes, mainly in the transport of goods, which until now was carried out by means of river transport through the Vouga River channel. The weather conditions as well as the state of the river, the low flow in summer or floods in winter, imposed several limitations that ceased to exist after the possibility of transporting goods by land. In 1972, the last journey in commercial service took place, and all rail services were suspended until 1974. After the revolution of April 25, 1974, the line was reopened and the steam train was replaced by a railcar. However, in 1990, it was definitively closed. Currently, part of this railroad was transformed into a road (Sernada do Vouga – Carvoeiro) and in 2007 the bicycle path was inaugurated in the connection: Foz do Mau – Paradela do Vouga, with a length of about 6 km, with a projected continuation to Viseu where will connect to the current cycle path that follows the old Ramal do Dão.
3750-103 Águeda