About Entroncamento

Entroncamento is a town and municipality in the district of Santarém, Portugal. The town is situated on the left bank of the River Tagus, opposite the city of Abrantes. The municipality includes several small towns and villages, including Frielas, Vale de Milhaços, Vila Nova da Barquinha, and Vila Nova de Portimão. The town of Entroncamento was founded in the early 18th century, when a marble quarry was established nearby. The quarry supplied marble for the construction of the Palace of Queluz and the Church of São Domingos de Benfica. The town's name means "connecting point" in Portuguese, and refers to its location on the railway line between Lisbon and Porto. In 1864, Entroncamento became the site of the first railway locomotive factory in Portugal. The factory, known as the Fábrica de Locomotivas da Companhia Portuguesa de Caminhos de Ferro, built steam locomotives for the Portuguese railway network. Today, the factory is operated by Siemens Mobility, and produces electric locomotives for the Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian railway systems. Entroncamento is home to the National Railway Museum, which houses a collection of locomotives and other railway artifacts. The museum is located in the former locomotive factory. The town is served by Entroncamento railway station, which is a stop on the Lisbon-Porto high-speed rail line. Entroncamento is also connected to the A1 motorway, which runs from Lisbon to Porto. The municipality of Entroncamento has a population of 11,569 (2011 census), and a total area of 97.6 km².