Subway of Lisbon

The subway of Lisbon (in Portuguese Metropolitano de Lisboa ) is the principal joint grid system of the capital of the Portugal. Its exploitation started in 1959 and comprises 4 lines, 44 stations and 35 km of ways. The subway of Lisbon is characterized by the neat decoration of its most recent stations. It transported 174 million passengers in 2004.

History

Beginning

The subway of Lisbon entered in exploitation on December 29th 1959 in the shape of a line in Y enters Sete Rios (today Jardim Zoológico ), Between Campos and the common terminus Restauradores . Thereafter the Southern section (today the green line) was prolonged until Rossio (1963), Socorro (today Martim Moniz ) (1966), Anjos (1966) and finally Alvalade (1972).

In spite of financial means reduced time, at the beginning of the construction of the network, the esthetic aspect of the stations was neat. The person in charge of the project asked the architect Keil C Amaral, who had just completed the realization of the final first of the airport from Lisbon Portela, to make a prototype proposal for a station. The resulting design was applied without major change until the construction of the station Alvalade in 1972: decoration partly consisted of frescos painted according to the technique of the Azulejo, which had been developed by the artist Maria Keil.

Because of the Portuguese colonial wars, political problems and of an isolationist policy, the construction of the network of the subway marked time during the years 1973 - 1982.

Developments of the years 1980

After the fall of the dictatorship of Salazar started by the Revolution of the eyelets of 1974 and the end of the colonial wars which was followed from there, the economy of Portugal started to develop. The entry of Portugal in the EEC in 1986, provided financial means the important ones to increase the network.

In 1988 two new sections in underground were inaugurated. The first of Sete Rios with Colégio Militar/Luz and the second of Between Campos with Cidade Universitária which serves the university. The decoration of the new stations was particularly neat with the participation of the artists Silva Rolando Sá Nogueira, Júlio Pomar, Manual Cargaleiro and Maria Helena Vieira.

In 1990 was conceived a plan which came into effect only in 1999: the junction of the 2 branches north at the new station of Campo Grande 1993 made it possible to modify the structure of the network and to divide the line into two independent lines:

the blue line which went from Colégio Militar/Luz ↔ Campo Grande while passing by Alameda .
the yellow line which went from Rotunda (today Marquês of Pombal ) ↔ Campo Grande while passing by Saldanha .

Two prolongations were inaugurated in 1997: on the blue line until Carnide and Pontinha and on the yellow line to the station Rato .

Within the framework of the World Fair of 1998, the new line of the East (red line) was inaugurated with a going section of Alameda until the place of the exposure close to the new station of the Orient . The existing network was in addition completely restructured: with the opening of the terminus Cais C Sodré the branch Is blue line of Cais C Sodré with Campo Grande became the green new line. The blue line finished from now on in the Center Town at the station fine Baixa-Chiado putting at the shape out of V of the network.

In 1998 several stations were also débaptisées:

Sete Rios → Jardim Zoológico
Palhavã → Praça de Espanha
Rotunda → Marks of Pombal
Socorro → Martim Moniz

In July and November the 2 unfinished stations of Cabo Ruivo and Olivais on the red line are finally open.

Developments since the year 2000

The development of the network continued in the years 2000 by putting the priority on the service road by lines on the surface of the residential zones of north:

on November 2nd, 2002 the green line is prolonged until Telheiras .
In 2004 the yellow line is prolonged until Odivelas und the blue line until Amadora Este .

Other work is in hand (see paragraph works in progress)

Network

The subway of Lisbon comprises 45 stations and 38 km of ways (2005). The circulation of the oars starts with 6:30 with the terminus of the lines and are completed at 1 o'clock in the morning.

First line

Until 1995, there existed only one single line which was regularly prolonged. Two branches in North met in Rotunda (today Marquês of Pombal ) and ran under Avenida da Liberdad in direction of the downtown area. After the station Restauradores close to the station of Rossio the line after a marked turn took a Northern direction Is and left the downtown area while passing under Rua da Palma. This layout was related to the technique of construction into distinct which privileged a layout according to the broad avenues and forsook the old city with the narrow streets.

Two of the 3 branches of the line were completed at the station Campo Grande giving to the layout the form of one 6. Also, thereafter, from the portions of the line were detached to form a distinct line. (1995, 1998).

Linha da Gaivota - the line of the Gulls (line blue)

1959 Opening of the line in Y until Sete Rios (today Jardim Zoológico ) and Between Campos , with at the other end a common terminus Restauradores
1988 prolongation of Jardim Zoológico until Colégio Militar/Luz
1988 prolongation of Between Campos until Cidade Universitária
1993 prolongation until Campo Large (station of correspondence)
1995 the section between Marks of Pombal and Campo Grande is detached to form the yellow line
1997 prolongation until Carnide and Pontinha
1998 Stations debaptized: Sete Rios → Jardim Zoológico , Palhavã → Praça de Espanha , Rotunda → Marks of Pombal , Socorro → Martim Moniz
1998 the Linha da Gaivota is divided and goes from now on Baixa-Chiado until the new terminus of Cais C Sodré ; the detached branch constitutes the new line of the Caravels ( Linha da Caravela )
2004 prolongation until Amadora Este

Linha C Girasol - the line of the Sunflowers (yellow line)

1995 Creation of the Large yellow line between Marks of Pombal and Campo by detachment of a section of the blue line
1997 prolongation until Rato
2004 prolongation until Odivelas
1997 prolongation until Rato
2004 prolongation until Odivelas

Linha da Caravela - the line of the caravels (green line)

1998 (April) Following the creation of the new terminus Cais C Sodré on the blue line, the latter is divided and the section detached devien the green line.
2002 prolongation until Telheiras

Linha C Directs - the line of the East (red line)

1998 Opening of the section Alameda - Directs (railway station and site of the World Fair of 1998)
towards 2008 prolongation of Alameda until S. Sebastiao

500 years after the voyage to the Indies of Vasco de Gama the line of the East (red line) was open within the framework of the World Fair of 1998 which had been organized autout of the topic " océans". The compass emblem of the new line symbolizes the exploit of Vasco de Gama which was the first to sail round Africa to reach the Indies.

Oars of the subway of Lisbon

All the cars of the subway of Lisbon make approximately 2,70 meter broad. The oars which comprise to 6 cars circulate on ways with the normal spacing and are supplied with electricity (750 volt) by Conductor rail. The 320 cars in circulation are of 4 different types.

Exploitation

The subway circulates between 6:30 and 1:30 with intervals between oars varying between 3 minutes 30 and 10 minutes according to the hour. The ends of the lines often have a frequency weaker than the central section.

Works in progress and projects

Works in progress

Two extensions are in the course of construction:

the prolongation of the line of the gulls, which must be inaugurated semi-2007, goes from Baixa-Chiado until the terminus of Santa Apolónia by serving the intermediate station of Terreiro C Parço .
Fin at the end of 2008 must be open a prolongation of the red line between Alameda and São Sebastião .

Projects

Prolongations are planned on the line of the Caravels to the station Pontinha and on the line of the Sunflowers to the station of the RER Alcântra Mar on bank of Tage. The line of the East must be prolonged until Lumiar and possibly the town of Sacavém . In the West is envisaged a prolongation until Campo de Ourique .

External bonds

Official site
Report/ratio 2004 of the owner (Portuguese/English)
lines of the subway of Lisbon on GoogleMaps
the subway of Lisbon on urbanrail.net

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