In the year 2006, the Tua Line celebrated 100 years of its conclusion, with the first train arrival to Bragança. Although, this great adventure begun in 1878, just 22 years after the first Portuguese railway opened.
Tua - Mirandela
Clemente Abílio
Meneres Beça
The 1880's in Portugal, in the railway scene, was marked by great advances, as much as at a national and international levels. In this decade, lines such as Beira Alta, Oeste and Ramal de Cáceres were concluded, and Portugal opened three international connections, from Valença (Minho), Barca d'Alva (Douro) and Marvão-Beirã (Cáceres). At September 1st 1883, the train arrived to Foz do Tua, on what was the proceeding of the Douro Line towards the Spanish border at Foz do Águeda, at Barca d'Alva. This international connection would be concluded at the same year the Tua Line was opened till Mirandela.
Although, once these projects needed months of negotiations and engineering and costs plans, the first steps to the construction of the Tua Line were taken when even the railway wasn't already at Peso da Régua, neuralgic centre of the Alto Douro region. The initial intention of the railway project predicted the connection between Bragança and the Douro Line, which would be achieved after the conclusion of the first phase from Tua to Mirandela. In 1878 were presented not one but two distinct projects for the construction of the railway from the duriense station to the Terra Quente Trasmontana city. One of these, elaborated by the engineer João Dias e by the conductor Bernabé Roxo, under the supervising of the engineer Sousa Brandão, through the right bank of the Tua River. The other, directed by the engineer António Pinheiro, crossed the left bank of the Tua River; it would be this project the one to succeed.
At June 22nd 1882, it was presented by Mirandela City Hall to the Upper House (Câmara dos Pares), organ of sovereignty of the Portuguese Constitutional Monarchy, the law project for the subsidy of 135 thousand reis (late XIX century currency) for the cover of the 5% interest guarantee for the company to construct the Tua Line towards Mirandela. After this step by the Mirandela City Hall, several personalities from Oporto, from each detaches the figure of Clemente Meneres, have joined to give strength to the petition for the Upper House. Clemente Meneres will be forever connected to the History of the Tua Line, by contributing in a decisive way for the approval of its construction, and, at the second phase of the line, with the passage through the Romeu farms, where he established a strong agricultural Company, which would be supported by the presence of the railway to send off his products.
Not hindering this request, the Mirandela City Hall decided to appeal directly to the King D. Luís I for the approval of the construction of the railway at January 11th 1883, also serving itself of a support request to the Trade Association of Oporto to make pressure for the approval of the project. This association had great influence, and at that time, there were the possibility of the Beira Alta Line deviates the main goods distribution centre from Oporto to the southern ports. On that time words, that would mean the grass would grow on the streets of trade in Oporto. This was the theme for the construction of the Douro Line beyond the borders; and, without the Douro Line, the Tua Line would make no sense.
As a result of these favourable conditions, it was launched in Law Letter at April 26th 1883 the contest for the construction of the Tua Valley railway, when Fontes Pereira de Melo, one of the greatest statesman in the History of Portugal, was still one of the responsible for the public works in the country. The winner of the contest was the same group who would adjudicate the construction of the Dão Line (Santa Comba Dão towards Viseu), and the Government adjudicated the construction to the Count of the Foz. Although, on that year's December, the contract was given to the National Railway Company (CN), extinct in the middle XX century, having in the figure of the Azorean engineer Dinis da Mota the director of the construction.
The year of 1884 came, and with it the passage from the papers to the terrain. At May 26th the adjudication of the works to the CN is confirmed by government decree, at June 30th the signature of the definitive contract, and at October 16th finally begun the construction, in Mirandela. A truly 3 year odyssey of construction of one of the most remarkable Portuguese civil engineering works begun, with unforgettable vicissitudes and efforts, that on an only trip you can only ashen imagine. Due to the great difficulty of the works e even the people, the first engineer on the field is forced to give up. The technical and disciplinary difficulties were an obstacle that was harming the proceeding of the construction. It was when, after great proofs of competence, it was called the engineer Dinis da Mota, who with an iron will managed to take the construction to its goal.
The first miles were exceptionally hard, since Tua to Brunheda. Beyond the big unevenness to confront, the Tua River valley at its final stretch deep and inserted, slithering through implacable canyons and escarpments of solid rock. From Tua to Santa Luzia, on a 8.7 miles extension, it were built three bridges and four tunnels, what for itself gives an idea of the task it was to allow the trains to reach Mirandela. At the Fragas Más site, deserted and composed of solid granite blocks at both banks of the river, a tunnel - bridge - tunnel construction was needed, at close range of each other. The workers struggled daily with dynamite charges and treacherous escarpments, many times with the closest village miles away, through steep narrow roads, or even no roads at all. The effort and discipline needed to the proceeding of the works suggests that this was an unequal work of construction and dedication.
Long and hard were the months of work, but they finally came to an end. At September 27th 1887 the line was concluded and officially open to exploitation. The truly pomp of the opening would be postponed to September 29th, when the King D. Luís I and the Hair Prince D. Carlos opened the line at Mirandela. From the regal retinue detached the presence of the great Portuguese artist Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, creator of the most celebrated figure Zé Povinho (equivalent for the John Bull figure in Britain). The opening steam locomotive, the Trás-os-Montes, from the German Esslingen company Emil Kessler, with the number 81, was driven by Dinis da Mota himself, locomotive that was kept after retirement in Bragança station. The departure from Tua was attended by a great crowd, on which there was representatives of the City Halls from Alijó, Carrazeda de Ansiães and São João da Pesqueira. The arrival of trains to Mirandela was tremendously celebrated, and the honour guests included the Civil Governor of Bragança, the Bragança-Miranda bishop, the Mirandela Mayor, and representatives of the City Halls of Macedo de Cavaleiros, Valpaços, Bragança, Vila Flor and Alfândega da Fé. They were all welcomed with a banquet at the goods platform of Mirandela station, decorated for that by Manini and Marques da Silva. The Royal Court was guest of the Counts of Vinhais, before the returning to the Kingdom capital.
It was launched in the Nordeste Trasmontano the strongest development vehicle the world had ever seen. Before trains could whistle at Bragança, 19 long years had to pass on, with successes and losses, and another exceptional work of engineering that would take the railway to its highest point in Portugal, and some of its responsible to a tragic end.
Historical source: Mirandela City Hall site.
"Homage of Mirandela City Hall in the first centennial of the Tua-Mirandela Railway"
Mirandela - Bragança
The overcame difficulties to carry the train to Bragança are part of a long story that surpasses the one that comes in the books; it's part of the collective imaginary, in a patient waiting that lies now deaf and forgotten in the abandoned stretch. at the beginning, the project started at Tua was to continue beyond Mirandela, only to stop in the city of Bragança. However, between 1887, the opening date of the Tua - Mirandela stretch, and the continuing of the works in 1905, long and winding would be the way to traverse to make it possible.
The proceeding of the works was to be immediate, or at least as fast as possible. However, after some efforts from the Ministry of Public Works Emídio Navarro, charge that belonged to Fontes Pereira de Melo, deceased in 1887, the prolonging of the railway lies in oblivious. But, with the reorganization of the railways in the middle 1899, namely with the creation of the Special Railway Fund, the idea of finally getting the train to the district capital reborns. Never the less, a deal cannot be made with CN to the construction, and neither the interest of a British company in 1901 could take forward the works.
Until the 24th of March of 1902 when a concurs is won, and a provisory contract is signed with he who would be the "daring contractor of the construction of the Mirandela to Bragança railway": João da Cruz. Because of unexpected reasons face to the size of the work, he trespasses the construction to the CN in 1903, that decides finally to launch the construction of the Tua Line till Bragança at 20th of July. This decision was made in a decisive meeting promoted at that precise date by Bragança City Hall, where were present amongst others the Counsellor Abílio Beça, representatives of the Government and the CN, the employees of the Tua Line Chief-engineer Afonso Cabral and Line Inspector Simão Pinheiro, and Manuel Serrão and João da Cruz, Director Enginner and Contractor of the Mirandela to Bragança railway, respectively. In June of 1905 was, at the end of 2 years of working through the valleys and hills from the Terra Quente to the Terra Fria, concluded the directive of the line, with its way and works of art. The works begin for everyone's relief.
The railway to Bragança would be opened in phases, contrary to what was made between Tua and Mirandela, but similar to what would be other Narrow Gauge Lines afterwards. At 2nd of August was officially opened to exploitation the stretch till Romeu station, at Jerusalém do Romeu, where Clemente Meneres established his farm. Before reaching the station, where the line draws a big U on its way up to Cortiços, the train crosses over the Assureira Bridge, the biggest bridge of the Tua Line. At 15th of October would be the turn of the at the time small town of Macedo de Cavaleiros, after surpassed the big uneveness between Romeu and Cortiços stations. The next phase would be probably one of the most easy ones to execute on the way to Bragança, after the characteristics of the region's plateau; at 18th of December, the line was open till Sendas station.
1906 begins, and the works doesn't stop. From Sendas, it would be 37km to take train to Bragança. Here begins an epic phase of the line, that would take it to the summit of Portuguese stations, at Santa Comba de Rossos, on its 850m altitude. The approaching to Rossas station was made at 14th of August 1906, after a significant part of the uneveness being beaten after the slytherin stretch from Salsas to the next station. The line enters definitely in Nogueira Mountain Range, with its 1318m summit on sight from Rossas on. In a beautifull stretch, where the landscape goes as far as Vimioso ward, the railway continues without problem through the extensive slopes of the mountain range. After Rossas, it was necessary to dig the biggest tunnel of the Tua Line, in order to continue. One of the biggest bridges, the Remisquedo one, after the small halt of Remisquedo, would be the last significant difficulty of the journey before Mosca, where it was necessary to descend through a great uneveness. From the high plateaus of the mountain to the pit where the city of Bragança rises, the railway descends continually. Already at Bragança, the last bridge: Coxa. The line curves to the right, and after the last quilometre through the city the rails end up in Bragança station, with the peaks of Montesinho Mountain Range in the horizon. The train arrived at Bragança at 1st December 1906.
"João da Cruz Avenue
Homage to the daring contractor of the construction of the Mirandela to Bragança railway"
Placed on the walls of the Bragança station in 1929