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Porto’s new tram-train and the importance of cultural events

Posted: 19 August 2010 | Teresa Stanislau, Operation Manager, Metro do Porto, Jorge Afonso Morgado, Director of Communication Office, Metro do Porto | No comments yet

The operation of Metro do Porto’s network is a huge challenge – combining the Red and Green suburban lines with the urban service of all the other lines. We intend to provide a different service for long and short distance clients that still offers both comfort and ease of access for all. Our tram-train vehicle made this possible with the segregation of seating areas and the benefits of being a partial low floor vechile.

Our long distance passengers can now comfortably travel on one of the 100 seats watching TV, while at the same time 148 short distance travellers can easily get in and out of the vehicle, even during peak hours when the maximum capacity is required (248 passengers).

The operation of Metro do Porto’s network is a huge challenge – combining the Red and Green suburban lines with the urban service of all the other lines. We intend to provide a different service for long and short distance clients that still offers both comfort and ease of access for all. Our tram-train vehicle made this possible with the segregation of seating areas and the benefits of being a partial low floor vechile. Our long distance passengers can now comfortably travel on one of the 100 seats watching TV, while at the same time 148 short distance travellers can easily get in and out of the vehicle, even during peak hours when the maximum capacity is required (248 passengers).

The operation of Metro do Porto’s network is a huge challenge – combining the Red and Green suburban lines with the urban service of all the other lines. We intend to provide a different service for long and short distance clients that still offers both comfort and ease of access for all. Our tram-train vehicle made this possible with the segregation of seating areas and the benefits of being a partial low floor vechile.

Our long distance passengers can now comfortably travel on one of the 100 seats watching TV, while at the same time 148 short distance travellers can easily get in and out of the vehicle, even during peak hours when the maximum capacity is required (248 passengers).

Integrating a new vehicle

The arrival of a strongly different new vehicle that had to live together with the Euro Tram brought up some new questions concerning the relation between vehicles and infra – structure. Exhaustive work was carried out, obstacles were identified, infrastructure was reviewed and tests were completed before the tram-train was used for commercial service.

During the summer of 2009, trial journeys were carried out to test the vehicle and, at the same time, allow people to visit the new vehicle, experience the inside ambience and acquire technical information.

At the beginning of 2010, the tram-train was introduced upon the Red Line initially just upon the Express Service – the shortest and fastest service on the longer line. Over the course of one month it was possible to test the vehicle on a commercial service by running just two trips an hour. Therefore, if any failures occurred, passengers would continue to have a commercial service without considerable impact as the other two trips each hour were still running using the ‘old and well tested’ Euro Tram. No failures arose and this commercial testing period concluded at the end of the one month period.

On the 1 February 2010, all four trips each hour/way on Red Line (2 Express and 2 Regular) used the tram-train, providing a 40% increase on transport capacity. Initially the commercial service stayed exactly the same, without taking advantage of the higher possible speed. We didn’t want to change the schedules and also wanted to guarantee that everything was working as predicted, even though it was a success. Customers were very satisfied with the huge increase in comfort and transport capacity they had longed for.

Now the Red and Green service is fully functioning using the tram-train, and passengers have revealed their satisfaction, other line travellers have begun to claim the tram-train for their lines – it’s considered the ‘cool’ vehicle. From October 2010, we intend to take full advantage of the speed and acceleration characteristics of the tram-train and make medium distance suburban trips shorter for our customers.

The cultural work of Metro do Porto

Metro do Porto is proud of the cultural role it has developed since first beginning commercial operation in 2003. The entire light rail network, trams and stations included, are part of Porto’s cultural agenda, offering venues to 1.4 million habitants of Porto’s metropolitan area.

Metro viewed the introduction of light rail as ‘the’ opportunity to elevate public transport as a matter of lifestyle and to add social status to a transport method that should come as a rational option. We had the chance and, above all, we had the means: a totally new network with an impressive transport design, built to shorten distances between six municipalities and to serve, properly, quickly and safely, an entire metropolitan region. Metro do Porto meant development and modernisation. But, to be successful, it had to be both cosmopolitan and an unquestionable synonymous of quality.

Porto is a city of multicultural talents, a land of creative industries and many young people. So, we have transformed Metro do Porto into a new stage for arts and artists in the city. Nowadays, music, theatre, dance, exhibitions, performances and installations usually surprise public transport passengers, bringing a wide range of new cultural expressions into their daily lives.

Over the past two years, more than 500 cultural events have taken place in light rail stations and vehicles. From pop concerts to cinema festivals, photography contests to poetry shows, passengers are used to discovering cultural venues on our network.

The stage for new musical talents

Since March 2010, Metro has launched a musical plan, ‘Música na Rua’ (Music on the Street). Música na Rua has brought near to 200 bands and soloists to a three-day casting session held at São Bento Station. Professional musicians, managers, sponsors and public transport professionals form a selection jury that elect the top 30 to play throughout the Metro network. Every week day, at lunch times and early evenings, Casa da Música, Bolhão and Trindade stations became musical stages for great acoustic or amplified concerts. More than 80 participants perform several musical styles, from rock to classical, fado to beat box.

All musicians get the chance to play in each station, in a rotational system. The concerts include enthusiastic participation of the audience, showing huge support to the musicians. Some musicians and bands already have their own fan clubs and many people follow them from station-to-station.

The first phase of Música na Rua lasted until the beginning of summer 2010, when a final party united all the participants, and winners of the public election were revealed. (The project also included a call centre system allowing people to vote on their favourite band.) Curiously, the public choice was ‘The Andantes’, a band whose name was taken from the designation of the multimodal travel ticket used on Porto.

Música na Rua also supports new talents and gives them the chance to initiate a musical career. Indeed, many are now being requested to play in regular concerts and festivals, namely those that are promoted by Casa da Música and by the Municipality of Porto, as well as in radio and TV shows.

Música na Rua is continuing throughout the summer months, just outside the main Metro stations. In the autumn, music will be back on the network, for a second edition of the project.

According to recent studies, Metro do Porto has achieved a customer satisfaction rating of 79.8%. As part of the latest survey, people were asked their opinions concerning cultural activities on the light rail network. More than 90% think they are ‘interesting’ and ‘very interesting’. The Metro do Porto light rail system is recognised as an important stage for cultural expression in Porto. Commercially, Metro do Porto is present in all great mass events and in every significant metropolitan celebration.

Public transport demand has been continuously increasing since Metro do Porto began operating in 2003. With five lines, 60km extension and 70 stations, it now carries more than 52 million people every year. Between 2005 and 2009, official reports appointed a global demand growth of 20%.

About the author

Jorge Afonso Morgado

Jorge Afonso Morgado was born in 1970 in Porto. He became responsible for Metro do Porto’s Public and Press Relations in 2002, managing communications during the system construction period. Since 2006, he has been Director of the Communications Office, managing the team that produces all the information concerning light rail activity. He’s also responsible for institutional relations.

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