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THE TUA LINE AND THE PORTUGUESE RAILWAY (1856-1906)
Maria Fernanda Alegria (University of Lisbon)
My participation in a conference on Portuguese railways at the Tua station in 2011 takes me back to the 1980s, when I was preparing a doctoral thesis on the modernization of transport network in Portugal (1850-1910), but also to the 1950s when I lived with my parents in the Douro valley, close to the river Tua. Therefore, this communication has a dual perspective. A more technical one – the progressive implementation of the rail network in the country – and a more personal one – memories of life in this region during my adolescence.
The first part relates to the construction of two sections of the Tua railway line (Tua – Mirandela e Mirandela – Bragança) as part of the development of the national rail network from its start in 1856 (Lisbon - Carregado), until it reached Bragança in 1906 . Some maps will show the distribution of the railway throughout the territory, the methods of financing its construction and the performance of major railways, including the Tua.
The second part recalls aspects of life in this unforgettable landscape, as well as the harsh living conditions and climate, especially at the bottom of valleys such as the Tua where according to popular sayings, there are nine months of winter and three of Hell.
Centro de Estudos Geográficos da Universidade de Lisboa