Withdrawn portugese trains are back from the dead.

[Socimi]

https://www.dn.pt/edicao-do-dia/28-jun-2019/45-milhoes-para-recuperar-70-comboios-da-cp-ate-2022-11053035.html

 

https://www.viva-porto.pt/oficina-da-cp-em-guifoes-ja-reabriu/

 

To increase the availability of rolling stock, the national railway company of Portugal, CP, will be re-introducing previously withdrawn stock starting from 2020, with 70 of them expected to be in service by 2022.

 

To handle the restoration of the withdrawn stock, CP has also re-opened the Guifões maintainance works, near Porto (wich was closed in 2011), and since the 1st of January of this year, the EMEF rolling stock maintainance and refurbishment company has also been acquired by CP.

 

At present, being renovated are 21 electric locomotives of Classes 2600 and 2620 and 13 "swiss-flavoured" Schndler coaches. 14 Sorefame cars are next in line for the renovation.

 

The Class 2600 and 2620 are electric locomotives based on the french BB7200 and BB150000 series, 12 units of the 2600 Class were manufactured in 1974 by Alsthom and a further 9 more (Class 2620) were built by Sorefame in 1987. These chopper-controlled locomotives have a maximium speed of 160Km/h and were used for express passenger trains, and also freight trains in their later years. Along many other portugese trains, these were retired during the "mass withdrawals" of 2012.

Of the 21 units abandoned in Entroncamento, 19 will re-enter service.

 

The Schindler coaches were built by the swiss Schindler company between 1949 and 1951, and are based on the Swiss Federal Railways' Leichsthalwagen ("light-steel cars").

The 13 renovated coaches (both 1st class with two doors and 2nd class with three doors types) will be put in service on the scenic Douro Line.

 

The 14 Sorefame coaches were built by Sorefame (Portugal's domestic rolling stock manufacturer) in 1971 with stainless steel bodies under license from the american Budd company (stainless steel bodyshells have been a distinctive trait of most of Portugal's EMUs, DMUs and coaches).

They will enter service (probably along the 2600 and 2620) on the Minho Line, wich is currently being electified.

 

Both the Schindler and the Sorefame coaches were withdrawn in the early '2000s.

 

Other rolling stock being considered for renovation are the 1900 and 1930 Classes diesel-electric locomotives, manufactured in 1981 and based on the french CC7200 and the Class 0350 diesel railcars, re-built (in 2000) version of the Class 300 railcars manufactured in 1954/55 by the dutch Allan company.

 

There are also two Class 3500 double-decker EMUs and six Class 2300/2400 single-deck EMUs (both for Lisbon suburban services) waiting for a thorough renovation.

 

Guifões maintainance works will also test the construction of a cab-car for push-pull trains (a first for the portuguese railways) based on the Class 0450 DMUs.

 

CP as also announched that they will buy 22 hybrid regional trains by 2022 to finally replace the troubled DMUs of Class 592, wich are being leased from RENFE (Spainish national railways) and since their introduction in 2011, they have been a considerable pain-in-the-ass for CP.

 

 

 

Re-opening of the Guifões maintainance works (CP's official video), fetauring the Schindler coaches.

 

 

2600s and Schindlers on their way to Guifões (hauled by a 5600 Class electric locomotive, part of the early Eurosprinter family)

 

 

Class 2600 No.01 back in service on driver training duties, hauling 7 Sorefame-built Corail coaches (themselves too a french design).

 

 

Two Schindler carriages being tested on the Douro Line (hauled by the iconic Class 1400 diesel-electric locomotive).

 

 

Edited March 12, 2020 by Socimi