After much delay the contract was signed late November 2021 for
the electrification of the Faro to Vila Real de Santo António
section of the Algarve railway. Work was expected to be
completed in summer 2024. That did not happen. East of Faro,
wiring is complete as far as Cacela and a little way beyond. The
final group of masts is going up at Vila Real de Santo António.
Completion is now expected by late April 2025. Work between
Tunes and Lagos is about six months behind.
| A visit on 19th December 2023 showed that wiring was complete only about a third of the way along the 56km of track. Various pieces of equipment were sitting in sidings. They only come out at night! Click to see a larger size. The first three were at Faro, the other one in the shadows at Tavira. | ||
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In contrast, David sent me
this picture of Olhão station. No date, but some time in
the 1970's I think. The road crossing has been replaced by
an underpass, but there is a foot crossing requiring a
security guard to come out when a train is due. Click or
tap to see larger size. |
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Portimão station exterior
22-11-23 click or tap to see large size |
Portimão station 23-11-23
click or tap to see large size.jpg) |
Passengers alight at
Portimão off the 0902 train from Faro. Click or tap to see
large size.jpg) |
Interesting piece of kit
being used by the electrification project. Click or tap to
see large size..jpg) |
Original station sign at
Portimão. Click or tap to see large size |
Tracks at Portimão showing
foundations for masts under construction. Click or tap to
see large size |
Faro Station 19-12-23 -
click or tap for larger size |
Faro Station 19-12-23 -
click or tap for larger size |
Faro Station 19-12-23 -
click or tap for larger size |
Tavira station 19-12-23 -
click or tap for larger size |
Vila Real De Santo António
19-12-23 - click or tap for larger size compare with the one above - new higher level platform |
Vila Real De Santo António
19-12-23 - interior - click or tap for larger size |
Olhão station 27th February
2024 showing the completed electrical installations -
click or tap to see larger size |
A general view of the
station building same day. Click or tap to see larger size .jpg) |
Olhão railway station
interior same day. Click or tap to see larger size.  |
About six months behind is the electrification project for the
western section between Tunes and Lagos. May I live long enough
to see a more frequent, more regular and faster train service in
2025! I have read that CP has ordered new trains for various
areas of Portugal, some of which may come down to the Algarve
line.
Masts are installed west of Tunes as far as Silves and also in
the Lagos area, with preparatory work under way elsewhere.
Rebuilding of stations is much in evidence, with high level
platforms being required for the electric trains next year. The
pictures below were taken on 5th and 19th March 2024. Station
rebuilding was almost complete at Algoz and Alcantarilha. The
masts are up for the electric power, but no lines as yet. Tunes
station work was completed when the first electrification was
completed in 2004. Tunes is the junction station where the line
from Lisbon meets the Algarve line.
Lagos Station and trains 19th March 2024click or tap to see larger size |
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 This is one of the engineering trains being used for the electrification project. |
 The masts for the overhead power lines are in situ |
Station interior. The long
queue is for tickets. Have these people never heard of the
internet! |
Station exterior |
Station exterior - café /
bar to the left |
Remains of the steam
locomotive turntable Now vanished (December 2024) under a building site.  |
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| Alcantarilha 05/03/24 - click or tap to see a larger
picture |
Algoz 05/03/24 - click or tap to see a larger picture |
Tunes 05/03/24 - click or tap to see larger picture |
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 The roof panels have been fitted since these pictures were taken |
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The line on the right is
from Lagos, the Lisbon line is coming in from the left.
The line in the foreground is the siding currently being
used to stable some of the various equipment being used on
the electrification project. |
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Beside the station is this
very precarious looking chimney. You can see how vertical
it is not by comparing the the electrical mast.JPG) |
Regional train from Lagos
to Faro entering the station |
 The old freight shed. The sun was in the wrong place! |
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General view of the main
station building from the 'other´side |
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More Tunes pictures below.
Regional train from Faro to Lagos which will connect with
the train from Lisbon |
The very well kept ticket
hall |
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The train from Lisbon
arrives, 11 minutes late. |
The regional train was held
for a couple of minutes waiting for passengers to cross
the platform. |
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Trains now ready to leave
in both directions |
Off towards Albufeira and
Faro |
These two have a good view
of proceedings! |
This lost looking Spanish
wagon was far from home! its home station is in the
southern suburbs of Madrid |
For those who are keen, the freight terminal at Loulé generates
fairly regular trains of aviation fuel traffic (destined for Faro
airport) also irregular brick and sand trains. At Vila Real de
Santo António the unloading of bagged cement has now ceased.
Traffic was lost during strikes some years ago. Delivery is now by
road. Tunes is a good place for a couple of hours of train
watching. Unfortunately the brick siding is not in regular use,
which limits the activity. A small shed houses a track inspection
machine, which rarely ventures out in daylight. It is also now
being used for the equipment being used on the electrification
work.
The empty fuel tankers from Loulé being taken back the refinery
at Sines (pics below) normally pass through Albufeira between
1145am and 12noon but not necessarily every day. The loaded train
goes through in the evening.
The centre of passenger operations is at Faro. There are several
platforms and much shunting to and fro. The whole line is single
track with passing places. It is electrified between Lisbon, Tunes
and Faro with modern signalling installed in 2003/2004. Work on
building the new platforms at stations is still under way. Some
stations still do not have high platforms.
The museum building at Lagos' old station has been closed to the
public for many years. I did have some pictures but these are now
lost.
There was a study being made into a fairly bonkers scheme to
build a branch line to the airport. That idea has been
re-activated but the chances of it happening are less than zero.
Attitudes to railway safety would give the UK's various
authorities heart failure! It is nothing unusual to see people
strolling alongside or across the track. There are few fences. US
citizens be warned - unlike examples I have read about in your
country, it will be your fault entirely if you get hurt. However
please exercise common sense when taking pictures near railway
land, especially if there are no fences. The electric trains in
particular are silent, fast and deadly.
Some words and pictures from a visit in 2015 to a temporary
railway history exhibition at Faro via this link.
 Alfa Pendular High Speed Train at Tunes Station |
 Older diesel locomotive not seen here now |
 Freight passing Tunes heading towards Lisbon - these trains are no longer diesel hauled and most have ceased. |
 Track in the countryside north of Messines station |
Messines
old station building
Vila Real de Santo António Station 2017- click or tap for full size  |
 Freight train carrying sand passing Tunes heading for Loulé. Also from 2017. |
TUNES STATION |
 Regional train boarding at Faro 01.07.14 - click or tap for full size |
 TRAINS AT FARO 01.07.14 LEFT ALFA PENDULAR, CENTRE INTERCITY, RIGHT EXCURSION SPECIAL - click or tap for full size |
Intercity train near Messines click or tap to see full sized  |
At
Vila Real there is an excellent steam train turntable in
fairly good condition. Sorry about the sky. That picture
was taken some years ago. I had a more second visit
and you can see some pictures of the much changed area at
the end of this album. |
 Faro main station building click or tap for full size image. |
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Faro sea wall, October
2011 thanks to Steve Widdowson
click or tap to see full sized  |
Unit 0462 at Tavira
February 2012. The low platforms were still in use. click or tap to see full sized  |
 Regional train Faro to Tavira on the sea wall just east of Faro 1st July 2014. click or tap to see full size. |
 Algarve Regional Train interior - once these were First Class seats now declassified. click or tap for full size. |
 Alfa Pendular train at Faro - click or tap to see full size. |
For some more pictures
of Faro station and trains on 1st July 2014 please visit my picture album |
 The little station at Boliqueime cleaned of graffiti and looking quite nice - 7th July 2014. click or tap to see full sized. It has since been comprehensively vandalised at least twice. |
 Disused freight shed at Boliqueime station same day. click or tap to see full sized. |
Steve Widdowson sent me
some excellent pictures of trains in the Algarve taken in October 2014 - take a look at them here. There are hundreds of great pictures of the Algarve line from the past forty years or so at http://www.flickriver.com/groups/1519610@N21/pool/interesting/ |
Conceição station December
2014 - click or tap to see full size |
Cacela station December
2014 - click or tap to see full size |
Faro station May 6th 2015 -
click or tap to see full size |
| Some kit that does not
normally venture out in daylight click or tap to see full sized  |
Stabled in Faro click or tap to see full sized  |
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This is why those less able
have problems with our trains! This the step into the Alfa
Pendular trains click or tap to see full sized  |
Lagos station June 2015 -
click or tap each picture to see full sized  |
| Portimão station -
classic design on a dull 17th February 2016 - click or tap
to see full size |
Portimão - the 1329 to Faro
enters the station on 17th February 2016. Needed a clean!
click or tap to see full size |
Disused crane at Portimão -
British made! click or tap to see full sized  |
| Thanks to Steve
Widdowson once again for these next four pictures taken in April 2016 |
The old steam train ash pit
at Lagos - click for full size |
Unusual livery on an
Intercity train carriage click for full size |
A very unusual sight - this
Intercity train at Tunes is formed of nine carriages!
Normally they are only three or four. Taken 25th April
2016 click for full size |
The aviation fuel train
empties passing Tunes heading north. Now in the hands of
Takargo, its load was taken off at Loulé freight terminal
and shipped by road to Faro airport. Click for full size.
Thanks to Steve Widdowson. |
Another shot of the fuel
train, waiting to pass a passenger train at Albufeira on
5th October 2016 - taken by me. Click to see full size. |
| The last few of a sizeable
number of people leaving the Lagos to Faro train at Faro
on 5th October 2016. Like most of the trains down here, it
is covered in graffiti tags. Click or tap for larger size  |
Silves station 27th October
2016 after remodelling, completion of new high platforms
and track renewal. Click to see full size. |
One of the refurbished Alfa
Pendular trains in the new grey livery at Faro station,
31st August 2017. Click for full size. |
The unacceptable face of
the railway here. With nowhere to store trains securely,
vandalism of this type is endemic. I don't know if the
railway is unable, unwilling or both to prevent this. Also
at Faro, 31st August 2017. Again, click for full size. |
Intercity train from Lisbon
entering Albufeira 8th May 2018. Click for larger size Some more pictures by Steve Widdowson mostly taken June 2018 here - will open a new window |
Sad to relate that nothing
is being done about the repeated vandalism. Faro, 14th
October 2018 |
The railway is still either
unwilling or unable to combat the vandalism perpetrated by
children and young adults. Most of the trains now look
like this. Picture dated 16.1.19 |
Ferragudo - Parchal station
24 January 2019 A café / bar occupies the left hand side of the building. The station is unstaffed and actually located in Parchal.  |
Albufeira - Ferreiras
station 4 May 2019 click to see full size  |
| The afternoon train to
Lisbon arrives 4 May 2019 click to see full size  |
A fair few board the train
- click for full size |
The 1429 to Faro enters
the station - click for full size |
| The same graffiti smothered
train on arrival at Almancil click for full size  |
Below
and to the right are pictures taken mostly in 2021 and
2022 by David Collins and kindly sent to me for inclusion. Click on a thumbnail to see it full size with explanatory caption.          |
     
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For a list of all the timetables on the site,
click here
For an alphabetical list of places in the Algarve, click here
For some important general notes about buses in the Algarve,
click here
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