The signing and enactment of the contract, along with the delivery of rolling stock, experienced significant delays due to legal proceedings related to the tendering process, stated CP – Comboios de Portugal in a statement. The company emphasized the need to recover time lost to litigation amid rising demand.
The railway operator is examining measures to accelerate the delivery schedule of the railcars and activating the option to acquire 36 additional units for urban services.
According to the previously established timeline, the railcars will be delivered starting in 2029.
CP and the Alstom/DST consortium signed a contract on Wednesday to purchase 117 trains, marking the largest acquisition ever by the railway operator, valued at 746 million euros. The deal was awarded in November 2023 and contested by other competitors.
The delivery of this rolling stock allows for the renewal and modernization of part of CP’s fleet, enhancing service quality, increasing energy efficiency, and reducing maintenance costs, highlighted the transport company.
This investment amounts to 746 million euros, with 117.6 million euros co-financed by European funds and 212.5 million euros provided by the Environmental Fund.
The contract also includes the supply of necessary spare parts, additional components, special tools, and the construction of a maintenance facility in Guifões (Matosinhos, Porto district).
As reported earlier, on September 9, CP confirmed that the suspension effect of a second challenge to the public tender, filed by Spanish company CAF, had been lifted. In July, the suspension effect of an initial challenge by Swiss company Stadler was also lifted.
