Old Bragança Train Station

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Bragança > Bragança > Bragança > Loreto

Location

The Old Bragança Railway Station is located in the Loreto area, in the city of Bragança. Although it is outside the older historic center, it is well integrated into the modern urban fabric, easily accessible via Avenida João da Cruz. The building's surroundings are characterized by landscaped and paved areas, where some sections of the old railway line and elements evoking its original function still remain, creating a peaceful environment for a break.

Railway Heritage and Architecture

Inaugurated on December 1, 1906, the station marked the arrival of the train in Bragança, an event of great importance for the city and the entire region. The connection via the Tua Line revolutionized transport, significantly shortening the distance to other parts of the country, as road journeys at the time could take weeks. The building, designed by architect Veríssimo de Sá Correia, features solid and functional early 20th-century architecture. Notable features include its rectangular plan with three distinct bodies (the central one being taller) and white plastered facades, adorned with granite stonework elements, friezes, cornices, and arched openings. A metal canopy extends over the old boarding platform, and on the main facade, a sundial can be observed. A plaque commemorates João da Cruz, an entrepreneurial figure linked to the construction of the line.

Memory and Museum

After the closure of railway traffic in the early 1990s, the Old Bragança Railway Station was redeveloped and reopened its doors in 2004, marking a new phase in its history. Currently, the building functions as the city's bus terminal, but it keeps its railway memory alive through a Museological Core. In this space, it is possible to discover the importance of the Tua Line for regional development and the lives of the communities that depended on the train. The exhibition includes a collection of original rolling stock, such as locomotives (among which the CN1 Locomotive, one of the first to operate on the line, stands out), carriages, wagons, and various workshop equipment, which narrate the history of railway construction and operation in the region.

A Starting Point for the Landscape

Beyond its current function as a transport terminal and museum space, the old station also serves as a starting point for exploring the surroundings of Bragança. Given its strategic location, it is one of the beginnings for routes that utilize the old railway line's layout, integrated into the E-Mob network. These paths invite discovery of the Trás-os-Montes landscape, connecting to areas of natural beauty, such as the Montesinho Natural Park, and offering a different perspective on the territory once traversed by trains.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt