With the “completion of the requalification” of the Cascais railway line and the presence of “a reformist government,” Nuno Piteira Lopes, vice president of the Cascais municipality, emphasized the importance of initiating discussion on the management of this railway.
The official reiterated a previous statement made on Tuesday, expressing the intention to manage the concession of the railway line and stations within the municipality.
Noting that “a concession to private entities is planned,” the official – who is PSD’s candidate for the upcoming municipal elections – believes that Cascais, Oeiras, and Lisbon are well-positioned to take over the line’s management.
“We have been discussing this for a long time,” confirmed Isaltino Morais, the mayor of Oeiras, who will be running for reelection as an independent candidate in October.
Oeiras has already indicated its readiness “for this commitment,” provided it involves “a partnership among the three municipalities,” he stressed, calling on Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas to lead the initiative.
The capital’s mayor agreed with the proposal, which aligns with the Government’s program allowing for the concession or sub-concession of railway infrastructure management.
Discussing a potential joint management, Isaltino Morais challenged Carlos Moedas: “You often talk about the people of Lisbon; I would like you to address the Lisbon Metropolitan Area more frequently.”
Lining up with Morais’ comments, the capital’s mayor replied, referring to the “great citizens of Greater Lisbon,” and queried whether the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) “should be led by the mayor of Lisbon.”
Meanwhile, the current president of AML, Basílio Horta (mayor of Sintra, elected by the PS, who will not be seeking reelection), remarked, “Our railway is suburban when it should be metropolitan.”
The “Greater Lisbon Summit” – a SIC Notícias event to discuss housing, security, and transportation topics – brought together five city mayors (Almada, Lisbon, Loures, Oeiras, and Sintra) and the vice president of the Cascais municipality.
