The station is the terminus of line C of the Metro, which provides a direct connection to the centre of the city of Porto.

The station was built in the corridor of a section of the former narrow gauge Porto to Guimarães railway line.

This section of the line was built, between 1927 and 1932, to connect the pre-existing narrow gauge lines at Senhora da Hora and Trofa [pt], thus allowing through trains to run between Guimarães and Porto.

Prior to this section of line being built, passengers making this journey were forced to change between narrow and Iberian gauge trains at Trofa.

[3][4] The Porto Metro opened in sections, reaching the new ISMAI station on 31 March 2006.