Porto's Tram 22 returns to the tracks this Saturday, August 1, for the first time since November 2021, when it was pulled from service to make way for construction on Metro do Porto's Pink Line. STCP, the public transport operator, says "all the conditions are in place to guarantee its operation," and has scheduled the first run for 9:15 a.m., departing from Carmo, the same stop where the half-hour loop ends.
The route is a compact tour of Porto's historic center: from Carmo, the tram runs along Rua dos Clérigos and through Praça da Liberdade before reaching the terminal at the Funicular dos Guindais, near Praça da Batalha. STCP says Pink Line construction between São Bento and Casa da Música is still underway, but no longer disrupt the surface enough to keep Tram 22 off the tracks. Ahead of the relaunch, the operator ran conductor training and test circulations throughout July to confirm the line was safe and ready to operate.
Later than planned, and not free
STCP's own account puts the delay in context: the line should have resumed by the end of 2023, by the operator's own earlier timeline, making this return roughly two and a half years later than originally planned. According to STCP, keeping the line suspended cost the company around €1 million in lost revenue during 2024 alone.
Tram 22 isn't an isolated fix. It connects at Carmo with Tram 18, which itself links to Tram 1 at Massarelos, stitching Porto's small historic tram network back together after years of construction-driven disruption. Tram 18 only just resumed its own traditional route on July 1, once Pink Line works at Cordoaria wrapped up, recovering three stops (Parada Leitão, Hospital de Santo António, and Carmo) it had lost since 2023, when it ran only between Clérigos and Foz.
- Runs daily, every 30 minutes.
- First departure 9:15 a.m. from Carmo; last trip ends 7:45 p.m., also at Carmo.
- Valid tickets: Andante pass covering PRT1 and PRT2, or a ticket purchased onboard.
- Fare: €6 for adults, €3.50 for children aged 4 to 12.
- Payment: bank card (physical or digital) or MB WAY.
Tram 22 is one of just three historic lines left from what was once a much larger network across the city, most of it dismantled in the 1960s and 70s. Unlike Porto's metro or bus network, these trams run more as a heritage attraction than daily commuter infrastructure, but for a city whose transport network has spent much of the past several years disrupted by major construction, one small loop through the old town returning after years of disruption is still good news.