The Liga dos Amigos do Douro Património Mundial (LADPM) and the Fundação Museu do Douro launched the petition in June with the aim to collect the 4,000 signatures necessary to bring the petition to parliamentary debate.

"Unquestionably, the result obtained exceeded our expectations and demonstrates, in an unequivocal and clear way, the will of the population and local associations and their political representatives, for this public investment to be carried out, in the short term", said, António Marquez Filipe, President of LADPM.

With the 13,500 signatures collected, he was convinced that "the Government cannot fail to take into account this crystal-clear and very significant expression of the people who elected it".

The promoters of the petition defend "the relevance of the Douro Line within the framework that led to the classification of the Alto Douro as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and the importance that this project has for the development of the Alto Douro wine producing".

The petition asks Members of Parliament to "consider and promote the reopening, upgrading and modernization of the entire Douro Wine Line to Barca d'Alva and ensure the connection between Barca d'Alva and La Fuente de San Esteban, in the province of Salamanca", in Spain.

The international connection was closed on January 1st, 1985 and the stretch between Pocinho and Barca d'Alva closed on October 18th, 1988.