Metro Mondego

The Metro Mondego, part of the mass transit public transport system of Coimbra, Portugal, was to have been a light-rail network that runs above ground in Coimbra into the city's suburbs. Studies and planning were in progress but the Metro Mondego project was cancelled in January 2011 at the height of Portuguese financial crisis. The operational conventional rail line connecting the municipalities of: Coimbra, Miranda do Corvo, Lousã, and Serpins was closed at the same time and replaced by a bus service.

Ramal de Lousa Serpins trains sidings

Urban transport in Coimbra
SMTUC CP/IP + MM (2006– ⚒) tram (1911–1980)* trolley (1947–)* lift/funicular (2001–) (* source ~1971 =) L. Norte (1857–) R. Lousã (1885–) R. Lousã (1906–2006) MM “L. Hospital” MM

A major part of the plan was to rejoin the isolated section of rail line between the stations of Coimbra - Parque and Serpins to the rest of the rail network at Coimbra and Coimbra - B station. This would have involved street running along Avenida Ermidio Navarro and Avenida da Lousã between the two existing stations of Coimbra and Coimbra - Parque.

There was a single un-electrified track along that street section used once a day for a scheduled train. It was also used to transfer rolling stock to and from the Coimbra - Parque station. Travelling north, the trains ran in the opposite direction to road traffic along a one-way street. The track embedded in the street is, in October 2014, still intact, as is the infrastructure at the Coimbra Parque station.

There is some local agitation to have the Serpins aspect of the project restarted as there is dissatisfication with the replacement bus service.