Tourism on the ecopistas as a factor in the preservation of railway cultural heritage
Abstract
Particularly during the 1980s and 1990s, multiple railway lines in Portugal were decommissioned. This situation resulted in the abandonment of most of the railway heritage found in stations and stops. To revive and breathe new life into these old railway lines, Infraestruturas de Portugal, in collaboration with local municipalities and the Revive fund, has been developing rail trails (Ecopistas) and advocating for the restoration of stations and stops, thereby fostering the cultural and social sustainability of these areas.
To assess the extent to which Ecopistas (rail trails) have contributed to the sustainability and preservation of railway heritage, an analysis of the restored stations and their current functionalities was conducted.
The creation of Ecopistas has inspired various organizations to renovate the stations and stops and safeguard the existing railway heritage, particularly the conservation of tile artifacts and the original architectural features.
Unfortunately, it was not possible to examine the local communities' perception of the impact of the restoration of these stations and stops.
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