Chronology
| 01.07.2023 |
The tram traffic is back in regular service after the road works that forced a temporary closure of the line have finished. |
| 23.03.2023 |
Tram traffic has been stopped due to road construction work along the route. No date of re-opening specified. |
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City information and transport tickets
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Sintra
Founded: 1154
Area: 319,23km2
Population: 385`606
Sintra is part of both geographical Lisbon region and the Lisbon metropolitan area.
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| Ticket prices as on 1st January 2024 |
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| Single trip for Sintra tram (on-board) | 3,00€ |
| Linha Próxima (Carris Metropolitana) Zapping | 0,85€ |
| Linha Próxima (Carris Metropolitana) on-board | 1,25€ |
| Linha Longa (Carris Metropolitana) Zapping | 1,55€ |
| Linha Longa (Carris Metropolitana) on-board | 2,60€ |
| Linha Rápida (Carris Metropolitana) Zapping | 3,10€ |
| Linha Rápida (Carris Metropolitana) on-board | 4,50€ |
| Linha Inter-Regional (Carris Metropolitana) on-board | 3,10-3,60€ |
| Linha Mar (Carris Metropolitana) Zapping | 3,10€ |
| Linha Mar (Carris Metropolitana) on-board | 4,50€ |
| Monthly pass (All transport types within Sintra municipality only) | 30,00€ |
| Monthly pass (All transport types within Lisbon metropolitan area) | 40,00€ |
Tickets or Zapping balance are loaded into paper (not personalized) or plastic (personalized) smartcards.
Price for one paper (not personalized) smartcard is 0,50€ and can be purchased at any ticket vending machine or ticket shop. It is valid for 1 year and can be re-loaded with the same type ticket during this time, but monthly passes cannot be loaded onto them.
Price for plastic (personalized) smartcard is 7,00€ (made within 10 workdays) or 12,00€ (made within 1 workday). Can hold up to two different ticket types.
Monthly passes have discounts for separate groups of population (pupils and students, pensioners, etc.).
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Tram
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Câmara Municipal de Sintra
(municipality owned)
www.cm-sintra.pt
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History
Between 1886 and 1898, several unsuccsseful attempts were made to build a narrow gauge railway line between Sintra and the coast. In 1898 the city council granted 99 year long concession to Nunes de Carvalho and Emído Pinheiro. Two year later, in 1990, the company Companhia do Caminho de Ferro de Cintra à Praia das Maçãs was created.
By end of 1901, the company requested authorization to make modify existing roads and streets, which would allow the stretch from Sintra to Colares to be opened in summer 1902. In the same year local newspapers announced that the Sintra line will have a branch to Almoçageme, but this project never was built.
In 1902 the company received all required authorizations to begin constructions and even were allowed to build any new branches with electric traction within the municipality limits.
The construction of the line began in late 1902 and was finished by early 1904. The company got renamed to Companhia Cintra ao Oceano and on 31st March 1904 the initial part of the route (Villa Velha (Old town) ⇄ Colares, 8,9km) was inaugurated. The rest of the route (Colares ⇄ Praia das Maçãs, 3,8km) was opened on 10th July of same year.
Companhia Cintra ao Oceano went bankrupt in 1914 and was replaced by Companhia Sintra-Atlântico and would operate the line till 1967.
Until the publicization of the road system, due to technological advances in motorization and improvement of the local road infrastructure, the Sintra Tram was also used to transport goods. Usually the goods were brought to the tram stops for loading and loading, but a cargo branch was built at Banzão (still exists) for the local vinery and another branch at Sintra train station. In November 1921 the tram system was used to transport firefighters and their equipment from Praia das Maçãs to respond to a fire at Hotel Royal Belle Vue in Sintra.
On 31st January 1930 the line was extended from Praia das Maçãs to Azenhas do Mar (1,9km).
1947 was the last year when Companhia Sintra-Atlântico had a positive commercial balance. In 1951 the company administration changed and they shifted the company stratedy to enhance with road transport, thus company began to provide also bus services. From 1953 the tram service became seasonal, operating only in summer. But the trams could be rented during winter season as well.
In 1955 the Praia das Maçãs ⇄ Azenhas do Mar stretch was closed and was replaced by services provided from the same company. At the same time due to road widening works on Volta do Duche, the line was also shortened at the Sintra end, with the stretch Villa Velha ⇄ Estação being closed by on week days since 1956, but closed completely by 1958.
In 1967 Companhia Sintra-Atlântico is bought by Grupo Eduardo Jorge, a trucking company, which keeps the investment into the tram line to a minimun, hoping that it will become obsolete when compared to road traffic.
The tram line was closed on 17th September 1974. In 1975 Grupo Eduardo Jorge requested authorization to replace the trams with busses, explaining that the use of the trams has become unsafe (due to degradation caused by the lack of investment the administration of the company provided). This request was only approved in 1975 after the nationaization and forming of Rodoviária Nacional, but Companhia Sintra-Atlântico (name was retained after acquisition) was officially closed already in 1974. The trams were placed in the depot and tracks abandoned. During the next five years several foreign operators and collectors attempted to purchase the trams, but were declined by the authorities.
On 15th May 1980 the line was reopened on Banzão ⇄ Praia das Maçãs stretch (~3km), which was least degrated and easier to recover. Only two trams were used (#1, which circulated regularly, and #3, providing service only in bad weather). The main problem in the firs decade after reopening the line was that the main depot (Depósito Ribeira da Sintra), which still held almost all of the roling stock, was cut of from the line in use, which used a temporary depot in the warehouse of the local vinery at Banzão. After some derailments which occured in the 1993 season the service was suspended by Rodoviária de Lisboa (the current owner of the line). But the next year, due to a change in company administration and city council which favorited the tram service, it was able to continue service in 1994 and 1995.
The service was again suspended in 1995, but this time the reason was positive. In 1996 works began to recover the whole line. On 16th September 1997 traffic was restored on Banzão ⇄ Praia das Maçãs stretch followed by Banzão ⇄ Ribeira da Sintra on 30th October of the same year.
Around 2001 the Sintra city council took over the line, despite a concession agreement till 2025 given to Scotturb.
Even though planned for short term in 1998, only on 4th June 2004 (100 years after the line was inaugurated) the Ribeira da Sintra ⇄ Estefânia stretch was opened. The restoration of the Estefânia ⇄ Villa Velha stretch was scheduled as a medium term project in 1998, but was not carried out. Also a tram musuem project was not completed, which would have exhibits from all Portuguese tram networks.
In 2005-2006 the main depot at Ribeira da Sintra was renovated which moved part of the garage from a lower level onto the main (upper) level of the depot. Thus the short branch on the lower level was demolished, keeping the duplicated track between the depot and the road curve. For this purpose the service was suspended in January 2006.
In February 2008 the Ribeira da Sintra ⇄ Praia das Maçãs stretch was closed, due to rail degradation and three minor derailments. That year the service was provided only on the Ribeira da Sintra ⇄ Estefânia stretch. A project was made to invest around 2 million euros in renovating the affected stretch, but also to connect the tram line to Vila Alda. A historic house next to Estefânia terminal stop. Vila Alda would be renamed to Casa do Eléctrico de Sintra and become a tram musuem. Vila Alda was inaugurated in October 2008, but only as an exhibition space with partial space dedicated to the tram line, without a connection to it.
The service was again suspended in October 2011 to August 2012 (due to fallen trees and stolen copper cables) and in 2023 due to roadworks carried on the adjecent road and blocking tram tracks.
Since 1st July 2023, the whole line is back in service during the whole year.
System data
Length: 13km
Track gauge: 1000mm
Electrification: 750 V DC overhead wire
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Electric buses
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Carris Metropolitana
Founded April 1, 2022
www.carrismetropolitana.pt
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Carris Metropolitana provides bus services on city and inter-municipal routes in Sintra with electric and regular buses (no special electric bus routes).
In Sintra Viação Alvorada (based in Oeiras) operates under the Carris Metropolitana brand.
Routes in Sintra municipality are 12xx, 15xx and 17xx.
Carris Metropolitana route numbers always have 4 digits which help identify the type of route. First digit always indicates area (Almada is in area 3). Second digit inicates the type: city route (0-4, usually indicting one of the major cities in the area), inter-municipality route within same area (5) inter-municipality route to different area (6), routes to Lisbon (7-8), routes that go outside the Lisbon metropolitan area (9). Last two digits are simply the route number.
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Other types of electric public transport
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Comboios de Portugal
Founded May 11, 1860
www.cp.pt
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Electric suburban trains to other Lisbon.
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Random Photo
    
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Urban Electric Transit