Metro do Porto
The poet Pablo Neruda, upon receiving the Nobel Prize, included in his speech of thanks a short quotation from Rimbaud: “ … at dawn, armed with an ardent patience, we shall enter the splendid cities”.
In the morning, when going down the República Avenue coming from St. Ovídio, and crossing the Luís I bridge, “ … armed with an ardent patience, we shall enter a splendid city, Porto”.
Even if NORMETRO doesn’t have a primary poetic vocation, it set out to include this component in its project for the surface metro system.
Although initially it seemed “almost” impossible to match the rigorous technical specifications that determine the system with the dramatic topography of the old city centre, we gradually became convinced of its feasibility. With the development of the project, something that might have seemed an obstacle, a closed and troublesome system, turned out a motive to redesign the city.
Foundations and Structural Consultants: CENOR – Projectos de Engenharia, Lda.; COBA – Consultores para Obras, Barragens e Planeamento, S.A.; CJC – Engenharia e Projectos, Lda.; VIA PONTE – Projectos e Consultoria de Engenharia, Lda.
Hidraulic Consultant: FASE – Estudos e Projectos, S.A.
Construction Consortium: Normetro ACE
Civil Construction (Project + Execution): Transmetro (Soares da Costa, Somague, Impregilo)
Power and Electrification: Balfour Beatty Rail
Rail Signalling System and Vehicles: Bombardier Transportation
Management Operation and Maintenance: Transdev
Concept Engineering: Semaly
