CP has parked a special train in Alcântara. All the material on display was recovered internally by the company.
Some of the Arco carriagesthe material that CP bought for 1.65 million euros from the Spanish company Renfe and brilliantly recovered in its workshops in Guifões, in Porto, are on display in Alcântara until next Sunday, November 20th. Besides them, there is also a set of carriages that do the service MiraDouroin the Douro Line, and also the VIP car, where there is, for example, a large meeting table.
CP parked on November 14 a special train in Alcântara, outside the Lisbon Congress Centerwhere a European conference on mobility and transport is taking place this week - the Transport Research Area (TRA). The train, which includes the different cars mentioned above, is on display because of this conference but can be visited by anyone, freely and free of charge - just get on the train (note that there is surveillance in place).
Until the 20th, stop by the Alcântara docks, where you can get on the train, see the different cars, sit at the meeting table, and discover some of the exceptional work that CP has been doing in the last few years in recovering old trains, which were leaning or abandoned, promoting a circular economy, saving significant costs (recovering trains is cheaper than buying new ones as the process is in-house), and increasing the rolling stock available for services.
The Arco carriages serve the InterRegional between Figueira da Foz, Coimbra, Porto and Valença and can travel at 200 km/h, have USB sockets, LED lighting, space for up to eight bicycles and a carriage with sofas for those traveling in groups. MiraDouro carriages have been a tourist success on the Douro Line; with a retro look very welcoming nowadays, these carriages have seats that can be turned to the window, so that people can travel enjoying the landscape.
Finally, the VIP carriage is available for companies and other entities that want to travel and hold meetings at the same time. Unlike the other carriages, it is not available in CP's usual service; it has a large meeting table, which you can try out, and also comfortable seats and a bar area.
The visit, it is important to remember, is free. Just get in the carriages. You can be comfortable inside and take pictures without any problem.
As a curiosity: we share here an infographic of the trains recovered by CP during the year 2021 at the Guifões workshops, in Porto.
