The 819 million euro tender to acquire 117 new electric railcars by CP, launched in December 2021, is in the final stage of award, the Minister of Infrastructure revealed today in the Algarve.
“We are in the final phase of awarding the largest train acquisition contract ever – there are 117 –, and we hope to close very quickly”, said João Galamba, during a session on the state of play of the modernization of the Algarve railway line, held in Olhão.
At issue is the tender approved by the Government in July 2021 and launched the following December, for the acquisition of 117 new electric railcars by CP – Comboios de Portugal, worth 819 million euros, which, according to the then Minister of Infrastructure , Pedro Nuno Santos, is the operator’s “biggest purchase ever”.
At the time of approval by the Council of Ministers, the Government said it expected the first train to arrive in 2026 and for all trains to be in circulation in 2029.
“With this investment in infrastructure and rolling stock, what we want, in fact, is to overcome the relative abandonment of railways for a long time – too long – and provide our country with a modern, reliable, safe and non-polluting system”, highlighted João Galamba, in Olhão.
The minister, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Frederico Francisco, and local authorities, traveled by train from Faro, in a short journey of around 12 minutes.
“The trip we took by train Faro Olhão made it possible to witness the importance that this improved service, with all the interventions we have been making and want to accelerate, will have in this territory and in people's lives”, he highlighted.
Reinforcing the attention that the Government has given to the railway, after “many years of not investing, of disinvesting in the railway”, the Minister of Infrastructure recalled the intervention in 1.000 kilometers of railway lines on the continent, with electrification of around 500 kilometers, “in an investment of around 2.000 million euros, which is to continue and accelerate”, he pointed out, regarding the Ferrovia 2020 investment plan.
João Galamba guaranteed that the electrification work on the Algarve railway line, which is being developed by Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) in two sections – Faro-Vila Real de Santo António (56 kilometers) and Tunes-Lagos (45 kilometers) – will be completed next year.
“We hope to have this electrification completed during 2024 and we will try to make it happen as soon as possible. It is possible to finish in the first semester. We already know how these things are, I don’t want to commit to a date, but [it will] definitely be in the year 2024,” he stated.
The work will allow the travel time of regional services to be reduced by 25 minutes between Lagos and Vila Real de Santo António.
The president of the IP Board of Directors, Miguel Cruz, highlighted in his speech that the company will close the year 2023 with more than 500 million euros in railway investment.
“In 2022, we closed with 417 million euros [in railway investment]. We have been systematically increasing the railway investment effort. Even discounting the effect of the inflation rate, 2022 was a peak year for railway investment and 2023 will close above 500 million euros. Therefore, it will be a peak above the 2022 peak”, announced the person in charge.
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