Rail Enthusiast? What to see in the Algarve.

ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT UNDER WAY!!

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 is expected to be completed in early summer 2024. That I doubt! A visit on 19th December showed that wiring is 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.

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 The road crossing has been replaced by an underpass, but there is a foot crossing requiring a security guard to come out when a train is due.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.

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 2024! 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 is 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 2024 click or tap to see larger size
		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
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
The roof panels have been fitted since these pictures were taken		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.
	Beside the station is this very precarious looking chimney. You can see how vertical it is not by comparing the the electrical mast	Regional train from Lagos to Faro entering the station
The old freight shed. The sun was in the wrong place!		General view of the main station building from the 'other´side
	More Tunes pictures below. Regional train from Faro to Lagos which will connect with the train from Lisbon	The very well kept ticket hall
	The train from Lisbon arrives, 11 minutes late.	The regional train was held for a couple of minutes witing for passengers to cross the platform.
	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.

Algarve trains -   pictures

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.
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. In terrible condition August 2017.	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
	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. Needs 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. All 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.
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	Passengers alight at Portimão off the 0902 train from Faro. Click or tap to see large size
Interesting piece of kit being used by the electrification project. Click or tap to see large size.	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	Olhão railway station interior same day. Click or tap to see larger size.