Transport in Madeira was a steam-powered cog railway (Monte Railway) from Funchal to Monte, which operated between 1893 and 1943, and went further up to Terreiro da Luta at 867 m above sea level. Bus companies such as Horários do Funchal, Rodoeste and SAM (Sociedade de automóveis da Madeira) have been operating for over one hundred years, and they have regularly scheduled routes to all points of interest on the island. The "Direcção Regional dos Transportes Terrestres" is the department of the regional government responsible for land transportation in the autonomous region. Transport in Madeira The Madeira islands and Funchal have an extensive
Madeira wine the second year following the harvesting and are typically batch wines. Because of this unique process, Madeira is a very robust wine that can be quite long lived even after being opened. Some wines produced in small quantities in Crimea, California and Texas are also referred to as "Madeira" or "Madera". Most countries conform to the EU PDO regulations and limit the use of the term "Madeira" or "Madère" to only those wines that come from the Madeira Islands. The roots of Madeira's wine industry date back to the Age of Exploration, when Madeira was a regular port of call