The Portuguese railway company CP has been authorized to “assume multi-annual expenses related to the leasing of diesel railcars series 592 for service provision on non-electrified lines,” with a total amount of €4,960,720.30, according to a decree published today in the Diário da República (DR).
The document states that “due to delays in the execution of railway electrification works and the lack of alternative rolling stock, there is a continued need to extend the lease for a period of 24 months.”
This measure concerns “the provision of public rail transport service on the non-electrified lines of Douro and Oeste and the international service Porto-Vigo.”
The Porto-Vigo service operates on the Minho Line, which is fully electrified, but because the electrical voltage differs between Portugal and Spain, and no bi-voltage locomotives have been leased, diesel equipment must be used.
The locomotives have been leased from the Spanish Renfe, with the contract extension covering costs up to 2028, including €2.4 million in 2026, €2.1 million in 2027, and €355,000 in 2028.
The decree is dated May 27 and was signed by the Deputy Secretary of State and Budget, José Maria Brandão de Brito, and the Secretary of State for Mobility, Cristina Pinto Dias.
