Author Description

Following the example of French and British railway companies, C.P. (Portuguese Railways) built houses and social facilities between 1910-20, to support its employees and their families. Key projects implemented during the first quarter of the twentieth century included the Boneca neighbourhood, for retired railway workers, and the Vila Verde neighbourhood, in the alignment of the Bairro Camões neighbourhood. The latter was built in 1926 designed by Cottinelli Telmo and Luís da Cunha. All these neighbourhoods are located in the city of Entroncamento. The city itself was created because of the railways. The station was the first dwelling - at the time a small tent (1862). This new venture provoked major migration from the interior of Portugal, of those who wanted to work for the Company. As a consequence, C.P. (Portuguese Railways) developed a plan, involving a series of ambitious social support structures, perhaps unique at the national level. The company built neighbourhoods for employees, a school, a supplies warehouse, an anti-tuberculosis dispensary that operated as a health centre and also encouraged the development of sporting activities. In parallel with technological evolution and development of railway activities, the workshop area was expanded, included reinforced staff training, which reached a peak when a training centre was built, that is today called FERNAVE, house in a huge building, built from scratch for these functions and which formerly housed the Instituto Superior de Transportes (Higher Transport Institute).