The government has announced an increase in investment related to the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) for the expansion of Porto’s metro network, specifically on the Casa da Música-Santo Ovídio line (Line Rubi) and the BRT Boavista-Império line. In a statement, the Council of Ministers also disclosed a financial rescheduling for the project, authorizing expenditure for the maintenance of the signaling system on the Line Rubi.
Infrastructure and Housing Minister Miguel Pinto Luz recently announced a “reinforcement for the Line Rubi” amounting to “an additional 50 million euros,” following a meeting with State Secretaries. The following day, Metro Porto President Tiago Braga revealed that the total cost of the Line Rubi, currently under construction between Casa da Música and Santo Ovídio, would increase by 50 million euros, potentially facing further hikes.
Braga detailed the necessity to “adjust the project’s financial architecture to accommodate” added expenses, particularly pertaining to “aspects related to signaling systems,” which will differ from the current setup to enhance frequency. He remarked, “This is nothing new. It occurred with the Yellow and Pink lines,” emphasizing that future cost increases could arise from price revision mechanisms.
The cost escalation issue primarily stems from “inflation in construction costs,” especially concerning human resources, which continue to rise sharply. Braga pointed out that “additional costs arose with the tunnel on the Pink Line,” noting that construction is not an exact science, and supplementary work is often required. He stressed the necessity of incorporating contingencies related to the project’s inherent complexities.
Braga, whose term was set to end in 2024 but remains in his role, mentioned that Line Rubi is slated to open to the public in stages by 2026, with the bridge construction only concluding in 2027. The Line Rubi, spanning 6.4 kilometers and featuring eight stations, includes a new crossing over the Douro River, the D. Antónia Ferreira Bridge, the Ferreirinha, designated solely for metro, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic.
In Gaia, planned stations for Line Rubi include Santo Ovídio, Soares dos Reis, Devesas, Rotunda, Candal, and Arrábida, while in Porto, Campo Alegre and Casa da Música are slated. Despite an official timeline for completion by the end of 2026, sources within Metro Porto have conceded that the bridge may not be finished until 2027, primarily due to finalization processes. The project’s initial cost was estimated at 435 million euros.
