Transport in Portugal

Transport in Portugal is diversified.

Sines and Faro

Roads

In 1972, Brisa was to construct 390 km (242 mi) of roadways by the end of 1981. The first priority was a highway designated as A1, a 300 km (186 mi) stretch reaching from the capital of Lisbon north to Porto, Portugal's second-largest city. This highway would become a crucial link to the industrial activity in the north of the country and experience the highest traffic volumes in Brisa's network. Construction also began on the A2, which was projected to reach from Lisbon to resort areas on the southern coast.

Two years after the establishment of Brisa, the right wing dictatorship was overthrown by a

mass consumption

.

In 1985, a new government led by the center-right Social Democrats headed by Prime Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva, came to power in Portugal and began loosening the state's control over economic activity. After years of slow progress, the government began an extensive investment program to bring the transportation infrastructure up to date. While some funds were earmarked for railroad and subway companies, the largest share went to highways. Brisa received a direct capital injection of PTE 17.7 billion in 1990. The investment was urgently needed, since traffic volume in Portugal was growing at a faster rate than any other country in the European Union. Average daily traffic volume increased at a rate about 4.5 percent more than the gross domestic product each year between 1990 and 1996. The government kept up its intensive program of annual investments, allowing Brisa's network to grow from 300 km (186 mi) in 1990 to 600 km (373 mi) in 1995.

Railways

National rail system

The principal train operator in Portugal is Comboios de Portugal. Rail infrastructure is maintained by Infraestruturas de Portugal.

Urban mass transit

The two largest metropolitan areas have subway systems:

Porto Metropolitan Area, each with more than 35 km (22 mi) of lines. In Portugal, Lisbon tram services have been supplied by the Companhia de Carris de Ferro de Lisboa (Carris), for over a century. In Porto, a tram network, of three lines, began construction on 12 September 1895, the first in the Iberian Peninsula

. All major cities and towns have their own local urban transport network, as well as taxi services.

Airports

Lisbon's geographical position makes it a stopover point for many foreign airlines at airports all over the country. The government decided to build a new airport outside Lisbon, in

Porto, Faro, Funchal (Madeira) and Ponta Delgada (Azores

). The national airline is TAP Air Portugal.

References

External links

Lisbon Metro (English)

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