Porto Metro

Porto Metro
Flexity Outlook Eurotram of the Porto Metro at Trindade station
Overview
Native name	Metro do Porto
Owner	Government-owned corporation
Locale	Porto Gondomar Maia Matosinhos Póvoa de Varzim Vila do Conde Vila Nova de Gaia
Transit type	Light rail / Semi-metro
Number of lines	6
Number of stations	85
Daily ridership	216,824 (average for 2023)
Annual ridership	79 million (2023)
Website	Metro do Porto
Operation
Began operation	7 December 2002 (2002-12-07)
Operator(s)	ViaPorto
Number of vehicles	120
Technical
System length	70 km (43 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC OHLE
System map

The Porto Metro (Portuguese: Metro do Porto) is a light rail network in Porto, Portugal and a key part of the city's public transport system. Having a semi-metro alignment, it runs underground in central Porto and above ground into the city's suburbs while using low-floor tram vehicles. The first parts of the system have been in operation since 2002. It is a separate system to Porto's vintage trams.

The network has 6 lines and reaches seven municipalities within the metropolitan Porto area: Porto, Gondomar, Maia, Matosinhos, Póvoa de Varzim, Vila do Conde and Vila Nova de Gaia. It currently has a total of 85 operational stations across 70 kilometres (43 mi) of double track commercial line. Most of the system is at ground level or elevated, but 8.3 kilometres (5.2 mi) of the network is underground. The system is run by ViaPORTO.

The Porto Metro has received the Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design in 2013.

History

Porto Metro train

During the 1990s, political leaders started advocating for a partially underground electrified railway transport system to service the city of Porto and the surrounding municipalities. This culminated in the founding of Metro do Porto S.A. in 1993 and the start of planning and construction of the first expansion phase of the Porto Metro. This first phase was deemed completed in 2006 and saw the creation of lines A, B, C, D and E.

The project included the conversion of sections of the narrow gauge railway lines of Linha do Porto à Póvoa e Famalicão and Linha de Guimarães, including the section between Senhora da Hora and Trindade nowadays shared by 5 different lines. In 2001, train services came to an end as construction started.

Line A (blue line) was the first line to open on 7 December 2002, running between Senhor de Matosinhos and Trindade in central Porto. On 5 June 2004, the line was extended to Estádio do Dragão, Porto's largest football stadium, in time for the Euro 2004 Football championship.

On 3 March, 2005, Line B (red line) opened between Estádio do Dragão and Pedras Rubras. The remaining section between Pedras Rubras and Póvoa de Varzim was opened a year later in March 2006. This line replaced Linha do Porto à Póvoa e Famalicão, between Porto and Póvoa de Varzim. The section between Póvoa de Varzim and Famalicão had already been closed in 1995 and was not included in the project. Instead, it got decommissioned and converted into a bicycle trail. In July 2017, an infill station called VC Fashion Outlet - Modivas was added.

Line C (green line) opened on July 30, 2005, until Fórum Maia in the centre of Maia and was extended until ISMAI in March 2006. Line C was built using part of the Guimarães line between Senhora da Hora and ISMAI. A section of this railway line between ISMAI and Lousado was decommissioned and expected to be serviced by the Porto Metro, but as of 2024 it was only serviced by busses. The Guimarães line continued to have train services from Lousado via Linha do Minho.

Line D (yellow line) proved the most problematic to excavate and opened on 17 September 2005 between Câmara Gaia in Vila Nova de Gaia and Pólo Universitário in the north. In the northern end, the São João Hospital and IPO stations, were not brought into service until March 2006 due to safety concerns. In the southern end, the line was expanded until D. João II in May 2008 and then to Santo Ovídio in October 2011. In June 2024, the line was extended southwards by 3.15km with three new stations added, Manuel Leão, Hospital Santos Silva and Vila d'Este.

Line E (violet line) opened on May 27, 2006, connecting the Airport Francisco Sá Carneiro and Campanhã. Several weeks later, the line was extended to Estádio do Dragão.

Line F (orange line) opened on January 2, 2011, connecting the Porto city centre to the Gondomar region in the east, this line runs between Senhora da Hora and Fânzeres.

Costs and financial results

On board a Porto Metro train

An Andante ticket being validated

As of 2007, the total cost of the Porto Metro public transport system stands at 3.5 billion euros - over 1% of Portugal's GDP. The first phase of the project alone, which was led by the mayors of several Grande Porto (Greater Porto) municipalities including Valentim Loureiro as a chairman of the state-owned company, was 140% more expensive than initially planned – a slippage of over 1,5 billion euros. The Porto Metro state-owned company has reported losses every year, reaching a record loss of 122 million euros in 2006.

Rolling Stock

The Metro uses modern Eurotram low-floor, articulated trams. Flexity Swift LRVs are used on line B, Bx and occasionally line C since 2008, and can reach 100 km/h (62.1 mph). They also have more seats, and can, in common with most modern light rail systems, recover 30% of the total of consumed energy during braking. New LRVs from CRRC Tangshan, dubbed CRRC Tram or CT, are being implemented on the network, running since 2023 on line C.

The majority of services run with two LRVs coupled together. The Eurotram consists of four main compartments, two in each carriage linked by short corridors, and also features an articulation between the two carriages. They have a capacity of 80 seated and 134 standing passengers. The Flexity Swift consists of three components linked by articulations, with a capacity of 100 seated and 148 standing passengers. The CT consists of four articulated components, having a capacity of 244 passengers, 64 of which are seated.

Tickets

The system uses the "Andante" ticketing system, used for public transport in the Porto Metropolitan Area. Under this system, a ticket holder can use multiple modes of transportation by various providers within a certain time period. Ticket prices and single ticket duration can vary depending on the number of zones that the ticket includes. The Andante system divides the Porto metropolitan area into fare zones, each representing a geographic area. The number of zones required is determined by the traveler's starting zone. A Z2 ticket allows the traveler go to all adjacent zones. A Z3 ticket lets the traveler go to all adjacent zones and to all zones adjacent to those.

Various ticketing options exist to use the Porto Metro. Paper tickets called Blue Andante (Andante azul) can be bought and recharged in machines in stations. These can be charged with single trips or 24 hour tickets. Monthly passes called Silver Andante (Andante prateado) can be purchased in Lojas Andante (Andante Shops) and topped up at Multibanco ATM terminals. They are personalized PVC cards with the name and picture of the holder. They are free for students between the ages of 4 and 18 and discounts exist for families, seniors, veterans and lower income households. Other ticketing options under the Andante system include Andante Tour, a 24 or 78 hour ticket for tourists, the Anda App, an app available for Android and contactless card payments on some readers. Children under 4 years old do not require a ticket if they are accompanied by an adult.

The Porto Metro operates on a proof-of-payment system. Tickets must be validated before travel by scanning them in front of the yellow machines located in stations. Instead, groups of fare inspectors randomly check tickets with hand-held scanners. The current penalty for travelling without a validated ticket is €95.

Network

Metro do Porto
Line		Length	Stations	Opened	Equipment
	Estádio do Dragão – Senhor de Matosinhos	15.6 km (9.7 mi)	23	7 December 2002	Bombardier Flexity Outlook (Eurotram)
	Estádio do Dragão – Póvoa de Varzim	33.6 km (20.9 mi)	35	13 March 2005	Bombardier Flexity Swift
	Campanhã – ISMAI	19.6 km (12.2 mi)	24	30 July 2005
	Hospital São João – Vila d'Este	9.2 km (5.7 mi)	16	18 September 2005	Bombardier Flexity Outlook (Eurotram)
	Trindade – Aeroporto	13.1 km (8.1 mi)	21	27 May 2006
	Fânzeres – Senhora da Hora	17.4 km (10.8 mi)	24	2 January 2011

Line A

Line A
Senhor de Matosinhos Mercado Brito Capelo Matosinhos Sul Câmara de Matosinhos Parque de Real Pedro Hispano Estádio do Mar Vasco da Gama Zone MTS1 Zone PRT2 Senhora da Hora Sete Bicas Viso Ramalde Zone PRT2 Zone PRT1 Francos Casa da Música Carolina Michaëlis Lapa Trindade Bolhão Campo 24 de Agosto Heroísmo Campanhã Estádio do Dragão

Grassy median of Line A

Senhor de Matosinhos – Estádio do Dragão

• Travel time: 40 minutes
• Headway: 10 minutes

Line A or the Blue Line is the main and, historically, most important of the five Porto Metro lines. It has 23 stations.

The line was opened between Trindade and Senhor de Matosinhos on 7 December 2002, by then Prime Minister Barroso. Until the end of 2002 travel was free of charge to allow users to familiarize themselves with the new light rail line. On June 5, 2004, on the occasion of the Euro 2004 European Football Championship, the section between Trindade and Estádio do Dragão was opened.

Service runs every 10 minutes between 07:00 and 20:00 between Senhor de Matosinhos and Estádio do Dragão, with some trips extended to Fânzeres on Line F. Between 6:00 and 7:00 and after 20:00 the frequency is 15 minutes. After 21:00 services only run between Senhor de Matosinhos and Trindade.

Flexity Outlook Eurotrams number 001–072 service the line.

Line B/Bx

Line B/Bx
Póvoa de Varzim São Brás Portas Fronhas Alto de Pêga Vila do Conde Santa Clara Zone PV_VC Zone VCD3 Azurara Árvore Varziela Espaço Natureza Mindelo Zone VCD3 Zone VCD8 VC Fashion Outlet/Modivas Modivas Centro Modivas Sul Vilar de Pinheiro Lidador Pedras Rubras Verdes Zone VCD8 Zone MAI1 Crestins Esposade Custóias Fonte do Cuco Zone MAI1 Zone PRT2 Senhora da Hora Sete Bicas Viso Ramalde Zone PRT2 Zone PRT1 Francos Casa da Música Carolina Michaëlis Lapa Trindade Bolhão Campo 24 de Agosto Heroísmo Campanhã Estádio do Dragão

Bombardier Flexity Swift on Line B

Póvoa de Varzim – Estádio do Dragão

• Travel time (B): 61 minutes
• Travel time (Bx): 53 minutes
• Headway: 30 minutes (each service)

Line B or the Red Line has 35 stations and is the longest line of the system. The line reuses, for almost its entire length, the route of the old Póvoa Line, which connected Trindade to Póvoa de Varzim. Line B was Porto Metro's second line to open. Initially the line only ran between Estádio do Dragão and Senhora da Hora, thus sharing the route with Line A. On March 13, 2005, an extension was opened between Senhora da Hora and Pedras Rubras. On March 18, 2006, after successive delays, the final section to Póvoa de Varzim was officially inaugurated.

The line has two types of services between Póvoa de Varzim and Estádio do Dragão: regular, which stops at all stations; and the Bx express, which only stops at Portas Fronhas, Vila do Conde, Varziela, Mindelo and Pedras Rubras, between Póvoa de Varzim and Senhora da Hora. From early summer 2011 the express service was expanded to operate daily.

In July 2016, Porto Metro announced that an additional infill station, Modivas Norte, will be added at The Style Outlet. The work is financed 50% by the mall management and will cost a total of €1.2 million. Although no extensions are planned, consideration was given to use the abandoned Famalicão branch to reach Barreiros, near Avenida 25 de Abril, via Mourões. Beyond Póvoa de Varzim the right-of-way has been converted into a cycle path in order to preserve the branch.

Line C

Line C
ISMAI Castêlo da Maia Mandim Zona Industrial Zone MAI2 Zone MAI1 Fórum Maia Parque Maia Custió Araújo Pias Cândido dos Reis Fonte do Cuco Zone MAI1 Zone PRT2 Senhora da Hora Sete Bicas Viso Ramalde Zone PRT2 Zone PRT1 Francos Casa da Música Carolina Michaëlis Lapa Trindade Bolhão Campo 24 de Agosto Heroísmo Campanhã

ISMAI – Campanhã

• Travel time: 41 minutes
• Headway: 15 minutes

• 
  Line C near the Forum Maia station
• 
  Aliados station entrance

Line D

Line D
Santo Ovídio D. João II João de Deus Câmara de Gaia General Torres Jardim do Morro Douro Zone VNG1 Zone PRT1 São Bento Aliados Trindade Faria Guimarães Marquês Combatentes Salgueiros Zone PRT1 Zone PRT3 Pólo Universitário IPO Hospital São João

Vila d'Este – Hospital São João

Travel time: 32 minutes

Minimum headway: 5 / 10 minutes

Line D or the Yellow Line has 19 stations and runs separate from all other lines, connecting with lines A, B, C, E and F in Trindade. It runs from Vila Nova de Gaia in the south before crossing the River Douro at the top level of the Luís I Bridge and passing through central Porto en route to São João Hospital in the north.

• 
  Tram crossing Dom Luís I Bridge
• 
  Line D platform at Trindade Station
• 
  IPO Station

Line E

Line E
Aeroporto Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport Botica Verdes Crestins Zone VCD8 Zone MAI1 Esposade Custóias Fonte do Cuco Zone MAI1 Zone PRT2 Senhora da Hora Sete Bicas Viso Ramalde Zone PRT2 Zone PRT1 Francos Casa da Música Carolina Michaëlis Lapa Trindade

Aeroporto – Trindade

Travel time: 35 minutes

Headway: 30 minutes

Line F

Line F
Senhora da Hora Sete Bicas Viso Ramalde Zone PRT2 Zone PRT1 Francos Casa da Música Carolina Michaëlis Lapa Trindade Bolhão Campo 24 de Agosto Heroísmo Campanhã Estádio do Dragão Zone PRT1 Zone PRT3 Contumil Nasoni Nau Vitória Zone PRT3 Zone MAI4 Levada Rio Tinto Campainha Baguim Carreira Zone MAI4 Zone GDM1 Venda Nova Fânzeres

Senhora da Hora – Fânzeres

Travel time: 39 minutes

Headway: 15 minutes

Funicular dos Guindais

Main article: Funicular dos Guindais

Car of the funicular. In the background, the Ferdinand Wall of Porto.

The Metro do Porto company managed and operated the funicular system Funicular of Guindais between 2004 and 2019. Management was transferred to Porto municipality in 2019 and to a municipal company called STCP Serviços in 2022. The funicular connects the riverside area of Ribeira to higher ground at Batalha, near the São Bento station. It was originally built in 1891 and remodeled in 2004.

Future expansion

• Line G (Pink line): A new 2.7km, 4 station fully underground line which connects Casa da Música to São Bento through Cordoaria. The construction started in 2020 and the line is expected to go into service at the start of 2025.
• Line H (Ruby line): A new 6.74km, 8 station line that will connect Casa da Música station in Porto with Santo Ovídio station in Vila Nova de Gaia. Construction will be put out for bid in 2023 with the line planned to enter service in 2026.

See also

• Trams in Porto
• Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto (STCP)
• Lisbon Metro
• List of tram and light rail transit systems

External links

• Porto Metro Official Homepage
• Official website for the ticketing system
• Map of the Porto Metro network (.pdf file)
• Metro do Porto news archive
• Photos of Metro do Porto's station architecture
• Flickr's Metro do Porto group
• Expansion - 2nd and 3rd phases (Portuguese)
• Porto database / photo gallery and Porto tram list at Urban Electric Transit – in various languages, including English.