Duas Igrejas - Miranda railway station

The Duas Igrejas - Miranda railway station was the terminus of the Sabor line, which served the town of Miranda do Douro, in the Bragança District of Portugal.

Duas Igrejas - Miranda Station

Estação Ferroviária de Duas Igrejas - Miranda
Main building of the Duas Igrejas - Miranda station, in 2006
General information
LocationMiranda do Douro
Portugal
Coordinates41°28′23.85″N 6°21′54.71″W / 41.4732917°N 6.3651972°W / 41.4732917; -6.3651972
Elevation748m
Line(s)Sabor line (1938-1988)
Connections
Other information
Website
History
Opened22 May 1938 (1938-05-22)
Closed1 August 1988
Location
Duas Igrejas - Miranda Station is located in Portugal
Duas Igrejas - Miranda Station
Duas Igrejas - Miranda Station
Location within Portugal

Description edit

The old station is located about 10 km from Miranda do Douro.[1] The building was constructed in the traditional Portuguese style.[2]

The station is decorated with azulejos produced at the Sant'Anna factory in Lisbon, illustrating period scenes from daily life in Trás-os-Montes.[3]

History edit

Planning, construction and inauguration edit

 
A priest blessing the first train that crossed the Mogadouro - Duas Igrejas section of the Sabor Line, 22 May 1938.

In 1899, the technical commission that was tasked with studying the plan for complementary lines north of the Mondego proposed a broad gauge line from Pocinho to Miranda do Douro,[4] which served the iron mines of Reboredo and the marble and alabaster quarries of Santo Adrião in Vimioso, then on to the border for a later connection via Zamora and Valladolid.[1] This line was partially classified as metric track by the railway plan, decreed on 15 February 1900, and its construction was approved in 1905.[1]

At the meeting of the Council of Ministers on 10 January, 1934, the draft contract for contract no. 3 of the Sabor line was approved, corresponding to the section between Urrós and Duas Igrejas, and this station was to have road access and a telephone connection.[5]

The section between Mogadouro and Duas Igrejas - Miranda was opened for operation on 22 May 1938,[6] by the Portuguese National Railway Company.[1] A special train was organized for the ceremony.[1]

A decree published in Diário do Governo n. 159, Series 2, of 12 July 1938 authorized the expropriation of land for the installation of an access road to the Duas Igrejas station.[7]

Projected continuation edit

 
Duas Igrejas - Miranda station, August 2005

In the General Plan of the Railway Network, published by Decree No. 18:190 of 28 March 1930, the intention to continue the Sabor Line beyond Duas Igrejas to Vimioso, to serve the quarries, was resumed.[8]

Two routes were planned for this section, one through the Vale de São Pedro da Silva, and the other passing near Miranda do Douro, Malhadas and Caçarelhos.[1]

Closure edit

The Sabor line was closed on 1 August 1988, leading to the abandonment of the Duas Igrejas - Miranda station.[9][10]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f SOUSA, José (1 June 1938). "Linha do Sabor: Inauguração do Troço de Mogadouro a Duas Igrejas" (PDF). Gazeta dos Caminhos de Ferro. Vol. Ano 50, no. 1211. p. 251-252. Retrieved 12 February 2015 – via Hemeroteca Digital de Lisboa.
  2. ^ NUNES, José (16 June 1949). "A Via e Obras nos Caminhos de Ferro em Portugal" (PDF). Gazeta dos Caminhos de Ferro. Vol. Ano 62, no. 1476. p. 418-422. Retrieved 12 February 2015 – via Hemeroteca Digital de Lisboa.
  3. ^ "Miranda – Duas Igrejas".
  4. ^ "Há 50 anos" (PDF). Gazeta dos Caminhos de Ferro. Vol. Ano 60, no. 1462. 16 November 1948. p. 632. Retrieved 12 February 2014 – via Hemeroteca Digital de Lisboa.
  5. ^ "Linhas do Estado" (PDF). Gazeta dos Caminhos de Ferro. Vol. Ano 47, no. 1107. 1 February 1934. p. 76. Retrieved 12 February 2015 – via Hemeroteca Digital de Lisboa.
  6. ^ "Troços de linhas férreas portuguesas abertas à exploração desde 1856, e a sua extensão" (PDF). Gazeta dos Caminhos de Ferro. Vol. Ano 69, no. 1652. 16 October 1956. p. 528-530. Retrieved 22 August 2015 – via Hemeroteca Digital de Lisboa.
  7. ^ "Parte Oficial" (PDF). Gazeta dos Caminhos de Ferro. Vol. Ano 50, no. 1215. 1 August 1938. p. 371-374. Retrieved 12 February 2015 – via Hemeroteca Digital de Lisboa.
  8. ^ PORTUGAL. Decreto n.º 18:190, de 28 de Março de 1930. Ministério do Comércio e Comunicações - Direcção Geral de Caminhos de Ferro - Divisão Central e de Estudos - Secção de Expediente, Publicado no Diário do Governo n.º 83, Série I, de 10 de Abril de 1930.
  9. ^ "Saudades do comboio na Linha do Sabor". Jornal Público. 5 December 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  10. ^ REIS et al, 2006:150