Lisbon - Route of tram line 15E (2013) YouTube name: Rafael Santos .September 18, 2013 .
The video shows Operational 15E Operational
Description Route of the 15E tram line in real time in the eyes of a brakeman.
Read more Read less Stops Praça da Figueira → Algés → Mosteiro dos Jerónimos → Praça do Cormércio → Centro Cultural Belém .
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Photos from Carris 12:56
Most viewed - 2025 Gloria Elevator, Lisbon (2018) Lisboa is a very hilly city. OK, not quite as hilly as Genoa, but some districts are still around 50 meters above the old town. The first tram in Lisbon dates back to 1873. Back then, it was still horse-drawn. Since the slopes to the higher districts were too steep for horse-drawn carriages, the idea of expanding the network with inner-city funiculars came up quickly. The two Ascensores, as they are called in Lisbon, were developed by Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard. They were initially classic funiculars with water ballast. The vehicles were braked by racks attached to the outside of the road. Both cars ran on their own tracks, connected by track loops before and after crossings. The cable ran in a recessed groove under the road, similar to the cable tram system in San Francisco. From 1890, three more classic American-style cable car routes and the Bica funicular were added to the two Gloria Lavra railways.
With the electrification of the trams and cable cars between 1910 and 1914, the funiculars also converted to electric traction. The two Ascensores da Lavra and Ascensor da Glória are a special type. Electric traction motors replaced the water ballast drive in the vehicles. Here’s how it works: Like a tram, both cars have a drive that moves the wheels of the carriages through adhesion. Both carriages are connected by the traction cable, which is diverted at the mountain station. Each vehicle has two current collectors. The direct current is fed via one line to the traction motor of the first railcar, then from there via the second overhead line to the second railcar, and back to the ground. This setup connects both motors in series, causing them to run synchronously. The downhill car pulls the uphill car. The drive only needs to compensate for the weight difference between the two cars. A complex drive station isn't necessary. The safety brake acts directly on the traction cable channel. 3:16
Portugal: Trams in Lisbon (2004) The trams shown in these clips are original 1930s models that underwent extensive modernization in the mid-1990s.
Details of current tram routes in Lisbon/Lisboa:
Lisbon's tram network has experienced significant reductions over the past 25 years. Today, it has five remaining lines, all of which are operated by Carris.
Route 12: This is the shortest route in the system, a circular line running from Praça da Figueira through Martim Moniz to the hilly Alfama district. This includes one of the steepest sections in the city, at S. Tomé. Services run approximately every four hours, although sometimes only one tram is in use, and schedules can be irregular.
Route 15: P. Figueira to Algés (Jardim), which covers about 10 km. The terminus was temporarily moved from P. Figueira to Alfândega in 2009 due to construction at P. do Comércio, but has since returned to P. Figueira. At Algés, there is a central bus station and a train station on the line to Estoril and Cascais, with the latter accessible via a subway from the bus station. Just beyond the bus station, the tram terminates at a turning loop in Algés Jardim. Previously, the route extended westward via Dafundo to Cruz Quebrada, with a branch reaching beyond to the national football stadium (Jamor). Route 15 runs from the city, roughly parallel to the Tagus River estuary, in a westerly direction, and is the only service operated by the new Siemens articulated trams, which have a capacity of 210 passengers. It offers a convenient interchange with rail services on the Cascais Line, city buses, and river ferries at Cais do Sodré. Besides the Siemens articulated trams, route 15 is supplemented by services using smaller.
Route 18: This route operated from central Lisbon to Ajuda Cemetery, northwest of the city, until March 3, 2012, when it was shortened to run from Cais do Sodré, west of the city center. Earlier, it was reported to be facing a complete closure and was also threatened with curtailment at its western end, near Largo do Calvário (Sto Amaro tram depot). Route 18 had previously changed city terminus in 2009, when the starting point was moved from Rua da Alfândega to P. Figueira.
Route 25: This route runs along Rua da Alfândega, via Estrela Basilica, to Prazeres Cemetery in western Lisbon. The service operates every 10 to 15 minutes. In the evenings, it is replaced by mini-bus services. This route passes through the hilly Buenos Aires district, near numerous embassies, an area otherwise off the typical tourist track.
Route 28: Martim Moniz to Prazeres. This is the classic tram route of Lisbon, featuring extensive, hilly, and narrow streets in the Alfama district. There is also a steep, twisting section as the route leaves Lisbon center toward Prazeres, up the Calçada de S. Francisco. Services run about every seven minutes, though short trips to Estrela are included in these schedules. Eastbound trams headed for the Alfama are invariably crowded by the time they reach Rua da Conceição in central Lisbon, so it can be wise to board in the opposite direction (toward Estrela and Prazeres) and return to the Alfama from that end of the route. Prazeres Cemetery itself is an interesting spot, offering good views across the Alcântara Valley, which include the Tagus Bridge, the docks, and Alcântara-Terra station of the Portuguese Railways. Heading out of central Lisbon toward Prazeres, there’s an impressively steep curve at the west end of Rua da Conceição as the line leaves the city center, heading west. Estrela Park, situated three-quarters of the way to Prazeres, is a pleasant spot, located opposite the basilica, to break the journey. By FrontCompVids -
March 11, 2004 .
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The Ascensor da Lavra - The Oldest Funicular In Lisbon (2017) This was our first funicular ride up a hill in Lisbon ... here they call them Ascensor. This ride is rather a secret tip especially it leads up to the beautiful Jardim do Tore. It's just not on the radar of most short time visitors.
Stay tuned for a video of the garden it self.
Read all about the Ascensor da Lavra on our Lisbon Travel Blog: By For 91 Days Travel Blog -
December 16, 2017 .
See all photos from Carris .
Tram companies in Lisbon Operational
Last updated: April 20, 2026 . 