The Ministry of Infrastructure announced that a budget shortfall would be compensated “either by the State Budget or new financing programs to be determined,” following a resolution passed on Thursday in the Council of Ministers. This resolution involved revising the expenditure schedule and sources of funding.
When asked about the updated schedule, the Government stated that the contract with the Alstom/DST consortium, awarded in November 2023, “will be signed within the legally defined deadlines.”
On September 5, CP confirmed the suspension effect of a second legal challenge to the public tender, submitted by Spain’s CAF, had been lifted. Earlier in July, the suspension effect of an initial challenge by Switzerland’s Stadler was also lifted.
This concerns CP’s largest purchase ever, valued at 819 million euros, awarded to the consortium led by France’s Alstom for supplying 62 urban trains and 55 regional trains. The project, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), faced legal challenges from competitors CAF and Stadler.
The Government clarified that according to the pre-established schedule, the railcars will be delivered starting in 2029. Funding will remain from the original sources: the Environmental Fund, Sustainable Program 2030, and the State Budget.
The legal delay from December 2023 to August 2025 had a direct impact on the project’s financial execution, underscoring the necessity for contingency mechanisms to ensure the viability of public investment in railway transport.
