The company’s decision follows precautionary restrictions implemented by Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) on the Douro Line, which do not affect the current regular rail service but prevent the historic train from being powered by a steam locomotive.
Due to these railway infrastructure limitations, CP — Comboios de Portugal announced today in a statement that the Douro Historic Train for 2025 will initially operate with a historic locomotive from the 1960s, series 1401-1467, replacing the steam locomotive CP 0186.
This train runs for 36 kilometers between the stations of Peso da Régua, in the district of Vila Real, and Tua, in the district of Bragança, featuring historic carriages from the early 20th century.
CP stated it is making every effort to ensure, “as soon as possible,” that the steam locomotive can resume operation “safely.”
IP informed on Monday that the precautionary restrictions are due to studies conducted as part of the modernization project for the Douro Line section between Régua and Pocinho, in the district of Guarda, aiming to “ensure safe railway travel conditions.”
As part of this, assessments are being conducted on the load-bearing capacity of the 12 existing bridges on this section—metallic structures from the industrial era, built at the end of the 19th century—to evaluate potential reinforcement or even replacement needs.
According to IP, preliminary findings of this assessment identify load limitations that necessitate restricting train operations between Régua and Pocinho to motor units or LD1400 locomotives or their equivalents, including the steam locomotive.
Furthermore, a specific assessment is being developed, with the support of the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC), to evaluate the possibility of operating the historic train with a steam locomotive on the Régua — Tua section of the Douro Line.
According to IP, this assessment is expected to be completed by the end of next month.
CP mentioned that, given this situation and the importance of this tourist product “in enhancing the region, promoting local products, and enriching the national railway tourism service,” it decided to maintain the 2025 season, albeit with changes.
The historic train returns to the tracks starting June 7, with the 2025 season running until October.
Trips will take place on Saturdays and Sundays and on some Wednesdays from July to September, traveling through the UNESCO World Heritage landscape of Alto Douro Vinhateiro.
The program includes traditional regional music, tasting of a glass of Port wine, sampling of regional products, and a stop at Pinhão (Alijó) to appreciate the station’s tile panels.
