Boletim (SP / EN / PT)

Following the example of the French and English railway companies, the C.P. (Portuguese Company) promoted, between the 1910s and 1920s, the construction of buildings for housing and social facilities to support its employees and their families. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the Boneco neighbourhood, for retired railway workers, and the Vila Verde, aligned with the Camões neighbourhood, stand out. The latter, built in 1926, was designed by Cottinelli Telmo and Luís da Cunha. All these neighbourhoods are located in the city of Entroncamento. This town was born because of the railway, the station being the first building, at the time a small hut (1862). This equipment led to a large influx of migrants from the interior of Portugal to work in the Company. As a consequence, the C.P. elaborated a plan that included a series of social support structures with a unique national dimension. This programme led to the creation of neighbourhoods for employees, a school, a supply store and an anti-tuberculosis dispensary that functioned as a health centre, and also encouraged the development of sporting activities.
At the same time, with the evolution of technologies and the development of railway activities, the office area was expanded, reinforcing staff training, which reached its peak with the creation of a training centre, today known as FERNAVE, a huge new building constructed for these functions and which housed the Higher Institute of Transport.
Fragment from Boletim by Carla Filipe.