“Any changes can only be adopted if they demonstrate benefits for the public interest, meet contractual requirements, are technically and financially feasible, and receive favorable opinions from the competent entities, including the binding decision of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) within the scope of the Environmental Compliance Report of the Execution Project (RECAPE),” according to a statement from the office of Miguel Pinto Luz, the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, reviewed today by Lusa.
The issue arises from the fact that the AVAN Norte consortium signed a concession contract on July 29 that includes a station in Gaia at Santo Ovídio, planned since 2022 with connections to two metro lines, but in October proposed a station in Vilar do Paraíso without guaranteed metro connections and suggested separate bridges instead of a road-railway bridge over the Douro.
“Currently, a financial evaluation of the proposed solution is underway,” stated the ministerial office, adding that, alongside APA’s environmental assessment, “Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) is carrying out the respective technical, legal, and financial evaluation of the elements provided by the AVAN Norte Concessionaire,” which “should include a comparison of the planned solutions for the Vila Nova de Gaia station.”
Specifically regarding the legal component of the changes, and whether “the station alteration can be made under the signed contract or if a contractual amendment is needed,” the Government responded that “a legal evaluation of the proposed solution is currently underway” and that based on the ongoing analysis, the appropriate legal framework for the approved solution will be defined.
Regarding the validity of the competition in the face of potential withdrawals of other bidders, the Government stated it is unaware of any other interested parties withdrawing their bids for this public tender for the reasons cited, assuring, however, that “no decision will be made that could undermine the validity of the public competition launched by IP.”
The ministry further reiterated that IP “reported it had no prior information from the consortium” about the project changes and “was not present at any meeting that took place between the Urban Planning Department of Vila Nova de Gaia and the AVAN Norte Consortium between February and March 2025,” when changes were first presented to the municipality.
The Government also distanced itself from the alterations presented by the Gaia City Hall in April, even before the concession contract was signed, noting that the publication of the contents “is a decision of the municipality, with which the Government and IP are not involved.”
On June 27, Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues, the former mayor of Gaia, suggested that IP was aware of the alternative proposals from the LusoLAV consortium (the former designation of AVAN Norte) for the high-speed rail line, despite stating otherwise.
“Why does IP say it knows nothing? Does anyone here in this Chamber believe that IP knows nothing about this? Please honestly tell me. Raise your hand if you believe that IP knows nothing about this,” the then-mayor questioned, observing zero raised hands in a meeting of the Gaia Municipal Assembly that discussed several alternative proposals for the high-speed rail line held between June 27 and 28.
The then-mayor of Gaia, who would leave office days later, also questioned whether “anyone believes that Mota-Engil [the company leading the consortium] is conducting studies behind IP’s back when it is IP that will approve,” stating that the construction company was “at the financial sustainability limits of the project itself.”
On Friday, IP’s Vice-President Carlos Fernandes stated that the Environmental Impact Assessment Commission’s report “is sovereign” regarding the high-speed line in Gaia, including the station location and demolitions.
On the same occasion, a consortium representative rejected today that financial issues are behind the alternative proposals made compared to what was planned in the contract.
