The Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing announced today that a contract was signed on Wednesday, “in compliance with the legally defined deadlines,” concluding delays caused by judicial challenges between December 2023 and August 2025.
Minister Miguel Pinto Luz highlighted that this delay “was hindering the modernization of the CP – Comboios de Portugal fleet and the service provided to the populace, who increasingly use rail transport.”
Alongside the Resolution of the Council of Ministers published on September 22, which mandates CP — Comboios de Portugal to exercise the option to purchase 36 additional electric motor units for urban services, the Government sees this as “a giant step to address the shortage of rolling stock” in the railway company.
“By mandating CP to immediately exercise the option to purchase 36 more trains, the Government intends, on one hand, to recover the time lost to the judicial challenges by competitors and, on the other, to take measures that accelerate the modernization of CP’s fleet to meet public service obligations,” emphasized the ministry.
The delay in the bid to purchase 117 motor units by CP resulted in an estimated loss of 191 million euros of support from the Sustainable Program 2030.
In responses sent to Lusa, following the aforementioned Council of Ministers’ Resolution, which “reviews the expenditure schedule and funding sources,” the Ministry of Infrastructure clarified that the lost amount will now be covered “by the State Budget or new funding programs to be defined.”
As reported by Lusa on September 9, CP confirmed that the suspensive effect of a second challenge to the public tender, made by the Spanish CAF, had been lifted. In July, the suspensive effect of a first challenge, filed by the Swiss Stadler, had already been lifted.
Involved is CP’s largest ever purchase, valued at 819 million euros, awarded to the consortium led by French company Alstom for the supply of 62 urban and 55 regional trains. The project is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and was contested in court by competitors CAF and Stadler.
In responses sent to Lusa, the Government clarified that according to the previously established schedule, the motor units will be delivered starting from 2029, maintaining the original funding sources: Environmental Fund, Sustainable Program 2030, and State Budget.
The installation of a train factory in Matosinhos (Porto district) is also planned, which, according to the company, would represent about 300 direct and 1,500 indirect jobs.
