What we do
Mission
The mission of Fundação (Foundation) is the study, preservation, appreciation and promotion of the historical, cultural and technological heritage of the Portuguese railway system. It was purposefully established for the installation and management of the Museu Nacional Ferroviário in Entroncamento. In addition, Fundação also oversees the design, promotion and management of the various Cultural Heritage Centres, in partnership with the respective Municipalities.
Main objectives
The main objectives of Fundação are to continue the implementation and promotion of the Museu Nacional Ferroviário in the city of Entroncamento, regarding the inventory, processing, restoration, and to ensure public access to the museum and archive collection. Furthermore, Fundação is also responsible for the management of the various Cultural Heritage Centres spread around the country.
Activity
- Continue the development of the Centro Nacional de Documentação Ferroviária (National Railway Documentation Centre);
- Foster scientific, historical and anthropological research of railways, in close cooperation with educational institutions and research centres;
- Edit and publish works related to the railways historical, cultural and technological heritage;
- Promote volunteering programs that are in accordance with the aims of Fundação;
- Host conferences, symposia, seminars and other activities regarding railway transport;
- Establish awards as well as the management and assignment of research grants;
- Promote exchanges with national and foreign institutions that pursue similar activities;
- Disclose heritage railroads and collaborate with railway operators towards their development;
- Promote technical-scientific dissemination towards railway development.
Major co-funded projects
PROMUSEUS | 2019-2020
MNF Welcome ALL Project | 2018-2020
Since its opening in 2015, the Museum still has room for improvement related to physical accessibility aspects in the exhibition areas. This includes improvements at an intellectual accessibility level, whether online or in person, regarding contents and information about the Museum and its collection.
All these components are included in the creation of an accessible route, with no architectural barriers, so that visitors’ needs are catered for appropriately.
The project includes the diagnosis of accessibility conditions, the performance of corrective measures for issues detected in the diagnosis; training in assisting persons with specific needs, a new website; video document with translation into international sign language, audio guides available for visitors’ assistance. A simplified language Museum Guide is also available in a printed format.
Project with scientific consulting by Acesso Cultura association and co-funded by Turismo de Portugal – Programa Valorizar – Linha de Financiamento Turismo Acessivel.
Scientific and Cultural Tourism as a Strategic Product | 2010-2015
Regarding the project portfolio, the rehabilitation and refurbishment projects of the physical infrastructure are worth noting. This allowed the expansion and upgrading of exhibition areas of Museu Nacional Ferroviário, in Entroncamento and the renovation of the Presidential Train.
This was a QREN project, under the Programa Operacional Regional do Centro (Regional Operational Programme of Central Portugal), more specifically the Programa Política de Cidades - Redes Urbanas para a Competitividade e a Inovação (Cities Policy – Urban Networks for Competitiveness and Innovation Programme). This project was also sponsored by Turismo de Portugal, I.P., through PIT – Tourism Intervention Programme.
START Project | 2009-2012
The START Project established partnerships in Portugal, Spain, Ireland, France and United Kingdom. It was aimed at improved accessibility in the field of public transport, mainly in the regions of the Atlantic Area, as well as the interconnectivity between transport networks and access to regional airports and train stations.
Improved accessibility included access to information, as well as cooperation between information services of passenger transport companies and entities operating in the field of cultural tourism. In Portugal, this project had the involvement of Fundação Museu Nacional Ferroviário, ISEL-Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa and CP-Comboios de Portugal E.P.E.
Railway Project in Portugal: from design to practice | 2008 - 2010
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian sponsored this project. It lasted until June 2010 and was derived from a partnership between Fundação Museu Nacional Ferroviário and the City Council of Lisbon – Municipal Newspaper Archive (Hemeroteca Municipal).
Its main objective was to ensure physical and virtual access to two of the most important collections on railways in Portugal – the Paris Committee archival sub-fund (held at the National Railway Documentation Centre) and Periódico Gazeta dos Caminhos-de-ferro (held at the Municipal Newspaper Archive of Lisbon).
EUROPEANALOCAL Project | 2008-2011
EuropeanaLocal Project, which began in 2008 and ended in May 2011, was co-funded by the European Commission through the E-Content Plus Programme and is part of a group of Europeana satellite projects. In Portugal, the project was coordinated by Fundação Museu Nacional Ferroviário and had the technical support of INESCID-Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Investigação e Desenvolvimento.
The Portuguese Network had the involvement of the following entities:
Archives
- Municipal Archive of Lisbon
- Fundação Robinson
- Municipal Archive of Ponte de Lima
Libraries and Documentation Centres
- Central Library of the Ministry of Finance
- Libraries of the University of Coimbra
- Public Library of Évora – Digital Library of Alentejo
- Consórcio Bibria
- Municipal Newspaper Archive of Lisbon
- National Railway Documentation Centre
- Documentation Centre of the Portuguese Communications Foundation
- Casa Fernando Pessoa
- Figueiró dos Vinhos Municipal Library
City Councils
- Vila Nova de Famalicão
Museums
- Science Museum of University of Coimbra
Update date: 09 July 2021