30 January 2026
STCP upgrades Campo de Mártires da Pátria substation.
STCP carried out a project to upgrade the Campo de Mártires da Pátria Substation, an infrastructure of great importance to the electricity supply system that powers part of the network of historic electric trams in the city of Porto.
STCP carried out a project to upgrade the Campo de Mártires da Pátria Substation, an infrastructure of great importance to the electricity supply system that powers part of the network of historic electric trams in the city of Porto.
This substation, in operation for over six decades, is part of the electrical infrastructure associated with the operation of electric trams — one of the symbols of Porto's urban transport, dating back to the late 19th century when Porto became one of the first cities on the Iberian Peninsula with electric traction in public transport. The history of the tram network, whose electrification began in 1895, is an important piece of the industrial and urban memory of the city of Porto.
With the aim of modernizing and ensuring high levels of safety, reliability and efficiency, STCP launched a project to upgrade this substation, adapting it to current technical and operational standards. The intervention, essential to maintain the safe operation of the historic electric tram network and support the future of electric mobility in an urban context, involved an investment of 829 thousand euros and was awarded to the company EFACEC as part of an international public tender.
Work began in 2023 and visible changes are already noticeable at the substation, which now incorporates updated technological solutions to meet contemporary demands for safety and energy efficiency. This upgrade represents not only the maintenance of a fundamental technical infrastructure, but also an effort to preserve and enhance a technological heritage linked to the city's historical transport, contributing to the continued safe and efficient operation of electric vehicles.
In addition to ensuring the operational continuity of the electric tram network, the modernization of the substation is also a relevant step in consolidating more sustainable and resilient mobility, aligned with the energy transition and STCP's emission reduction targets.
