About this journey

Pombal station stands along the Linha do Norte, the main Portuguese railway line linking Lisbon and Porto. The town takes its name from the Marquis of Pombal (1699–1782), chief minister to King Joseph I and one of the most consequential figures in Portuguese history. From here the line runs north across the flat lowlands of the Baixo Mondego, crossing the Arunca River twice before reaching the modest halts of Soure and Vila Nova de Anços.

Beyond the container terminal at Granja do Ulmeiro – Alfarelos, served by freight from Figueira da Foz port on the Atlantic, the route passes through a cluster of suburban stops approaching Coimbra. At Pampilhosa the Beira Alta railway branches away inland toward Guarda and Salamanca. North of Mealhada the line enters a longer section cleared for up to 220 km/h, running past Curia and Oliveira do Bairro before reaching Aveiro. The coastal stretch that follows tracks close to the Atlantic through Espinho — where the Vouga metre-gauge line terminates — before the line curves inland again along the southern bank of the Douro.

At Gaia the first glimpse of Porto opens across the river. The train passes through the Serra do Pilar Tunnel and crosses the São João Bridge (1,140 m) over the Douro, opened in 1991 to replace the nearby Maria Pia Bridge of 1877, itself an Eiffel-school design. Porto – Campanhã station, inaugurated on 4 November 1877, sits on the eastern edge of Porto on the right bank of the Douro. Its layout was set in 1872 by Espregueira, Lopes, and Alexandre Eiffel, and today it serves as the city's central rail hub, connecting Alfa Pendular services, intercity trains, and the Metro do Porto — a gateway whose historic bridges and UNESCO-listed centre lie just minutes away.