Five out of six lines of the Metro do Porto share a joint route between Estádio do Dragão and Senhora da Hora. This route runs from east via the centre to the north-west of the city over a distance of almost 10 km and has a total of 14 stations/stops: Estádio do Dragão – Campamhã – Heroismo – Campo 24 de Agosto – Bolhão – Trindade – Lapa – Carolina Michalis – Casa da Música – Francos – Ramalde – Viso – Sete Bicas – Senhora da Hora.
At Estádio do Dragão is the stadium of FC Porto with the same name. Between Estádio do Dragão and Campanhã the line is parallel to the railway and partly covered by a concrete structure carrying a highway. Campanhã is the main railway station of Porto. From Campanhã the line is in a 2.3 km long tunnel with three intermediates stations: Heroismo – Campo 24 de Agosto – Bolhão.
The line comes to surface again at Trindade on the location where once the terminus was of the narrow gauge railways. Trindade is the hub of the system as here crosses the only line not using the joint route. From Trindade the route of the former narrow gauge railway is used. While the narrow gauge railway had four intermediate stops between Trindade and Senhora da Hora, the MP has seven intermediate stations/stops on this part: Lapa – Carolina Michaelis – Casa da Música – Francos – Ramalde – Viso – Sete Bicas.
Tha Casa da Música station is near Boavista on the location of the former Avenida da França stop of the narrow gauge railway. In the future Casa da Música will become a second hub as line G comes into service.
The joint route is part of the lines A, B, C, E and F, although not all lines use or have always used the whole route. Over the years the usage was changed with time-table changes.
Opening dates: 7 December 2002 Trindade – Senhora da Hora (6.1 km) as part of the opening of line A to Senhor de Matosinhos 6 June 2004 Estádio do Dragão – Trindade (3.8 km) Travel times from Estádio do Dragão are 3′ to Campanhã, 9′ to Trindade and 22′ to Senhora da Hora.
Photo gallery
The Estádio do Dragão station has three tracks and two island platforms. Usually line B trams reverse on the centre track while the side tracks are used for trough running of the line A+F trams. 10 March 2012.The Campanhã station is at surface level, but covered and with an office building above it. From the outbound track there is cross-platform access to the railway station. An Eurotram from Senhor de Matosinhos to Fânzeres just emerged from the tunnel exit in the background on 29 August 2012.Campo 24 de Agosto is one of the three underground stations between Campanhã and Trindade. An Eurotram to Matosinhos meets a Flexity Swift on an express service from Póvoa de Varzim on 29 August 2012.The Trindade station is on the site of the former narrow gauge terminus station, though complete rebuilt. On 11 December 2010 the express trams of line B still terminated on the stub track at the right. At the left is a Flexity Swift with destination Campanhã.Immediately after leaving Trindade the trams enter the old tunnel built in the 1930’s for the narrow gauge trains. On 27 September 2012 a Flexity Swift just came out of this tunnel while on an express service from Póvoa de Varzim.On 21 May 2012 a Flexity Swift on a line C service enters the Carolina Michaelis station.The Casa da Música station is underground, but daylight can not only enter trough the tunnel entrance, but also from above. An Eurotram to Fânzeres calls on 29 August 2012.Near Francos the trams pass very close to the houses. 29 August 2012.An Eurotram to Senhor the Matosinhos calls on the Francos stop. 29 August 2012.Senhora da Hora is the end of the joint route of the lines A, B, C, E and F. At the left is part of the old narrow gauge railway station visible that now houses a ticket and information office. In the background at the platforms an inbound Flexity Swift and an outbound Eurotram on 10 May 2010.The location where the line A tracks, coming from the left, join the tracks of the lines B, C and E. On 31 August 2012 an Eurotram coming from the Aeroporto approaches the Senhora da Hora station.
