European Railroad Discussion > Hanging Around the Campanhã Station in Porto, Portugal

I took a regional train from Porto São Bento to Porto Campanhã, the main station from which you can go both north and south and where you have a chance of seeing freight trains. The station is fully accessible but with quite a few platforms it is difficult to be in the right place at the right time. Also, my free day was a Sunday so I was not expecting much freight action.

1. The highest speed passenger trains in Portugal are the Alfa Pendular tilt-trains between Porto (and Braga) and Lisbon. I have ridden several tilt trains around the world and my experience has been that the tilting is subtle. On these I could really see/feel the tilting when I rode down to Lisbon the following day. On good track these are nice trains but there was a section south of Porto that was a bit rough and caused vibrations. We hit a maximum speed of 224 kph or 140 mph.

2. A view of the cab.

3. A CP Nez Cassé 2620-class electric making its stop prior to terminating at São Bento with a train of modern coaches.

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4. A regional EMU heading for Porto São Bento.

5. A regional EMU arrives from São Bento with destination of Marco Canaveses on the Douro Valley line. Just out of view around the corner is the massive, modern concrete bridge across the Douro River that replaced a single-track metal arched bridge that still stands but without rails and fenced off.

6. And just when you least expect it, a freight train, northbound international containers. I need help as to what and whose this six-axle diesel is. Completely unlettered and I can't make out the number on the nose.

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