18 September 2022 marked the 150th anniversary of the Companhia Carris de Ferro de Lisboa.
Founded in 1872 by the brothers Luciano and Francisco Maria Cordeiro de Sousa, CARRIS came to revolutionise the means of transport within the city of Lisbon, starting with a system of animal traction on rails on 17 November 1873, between the Station for the Northern and Eastern Railway lines (Santa Apolónia) and the western end of the Aterro da Boa Vista (Santos). The Carro Americano [horse-drawn streetcar] was the first carriage able to transport 30 passengers, in a vehicle on rails drawn by two horses. Less than two decades later, in 1900, it was the Carro Elétrico [electric streetcar] that led to Lisbon’s first electricity plant being installed, the Santos Generator for Lisbon. Once the rails and electricity network were in place, the electric streetcar network opened on 31 August 1901 its first route travelling between Terreiro do Paço and Algés. This later became route 15E and carried the residents of Lisbon as well as passengers from other cities and countries.
The funicular railways of Lavra (1884), Glória (1885), and Bica (1892), along with the Santa Justa Lift (1901), reinforced the CARRIS fleet and promoted the brand to tourists, enhancing the picturesque quality of the streets and cobbled streets they embellished.
On 9 April 1944, a new form of public transport for Lisbon was introduced in Belém: the bus. Because it did not run on rails, new parts of the city were quickly reached, expanding the network and creating an alternative means for residents to get around. In 1947, double-decker buses were imported, also from England, with a capacity of 58 seated places over the lower and top decks. By the 1950s, the CARRIS fleet was split almost equally between electric streetcars and buses.
The history of CARRIS echoes the history of a city in growth, seeking new solutions to ensure the mobility of its residents and all those who visit and travel round it. With the introduction of buses powered by natural gas in 2001 and the 100% electric bus in 2020, CARRIS also kept abreast of the need to find more sustainable forms of transport.
There have been many alterations and expansions of the CARRIS routes over the years, and they now cover 749 kilometres of Lisbon. Through history and innovation, these 150 years have undeniably made their mark in the city.
Dr. Ema Favila Vieira
General Secretary
and Legal Director of Carris
