Miguel Pinto Luz attended a ceremony today at the Estação do Peso da Régua to mark the commencement of electrification works on the Douro Railway Line, between the section Marco de Canaveses — Régua.
In his speech, he stated that the current government will not abandon a “short-term policy of meticulous maintenance of the country’s critical infrastructure,” pointing to maintenance operations and “replacement of an obsolescence that has been glaring throughout the national network.”
The official also referred to recent dramatic situations in the mobility sector, clarifying later to journalists that he was referring to the accident with the Glória elevator and accidents at level crossings.
“We must truly concern ourselves with the maintenance of infrastructure. That was my point; we must not only remember when accidents occur. We must take action before accidents happen to prevent these events,” he emphasized.
In this context, he highlighted the “remarkable effort” that Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) is undertaking by eliminating or automating hundreds of level crossings in the country.
“We cannot continue, in the 21st century, to have obsolete infrastructure incapable of guaranteeing everyone’s safety,” he further stated during his speech.
On Saturday, four people died across the country in incidents involving trains, notably two Canadian tourists in the Douro region.
The Glória elevator, managed by Carris (under the supervision of the Lisbon municipality), derailed on September 3rd, in an accident that resulted in 16 fatalities and around twenty injuries, involving both Portuguese and foreigners of various nationalities, and is currently under investigation.
According to a dispatch published on Monday in Diário da República, the government authorized an increase in the staff of the Office for Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF) to include three specialized railway investigators.
Miguel Pinto Luz told journalists today that the “reinforcement was already planned,” had been requested, was in the final phase, and has now been finalized, notably with a member of staff from CP.
“But let me also say very clearly, because at a certain point in this process, there was a sense that there were few resources. However, the GPIAAF, in record time, presented a report that the country is transparently discussing, hiding nothing from anyone,” he stressed.
He also mentioned that, within 45 days, they proposed “a preliminary report with a final report expected in a year.”
“Therefore, I believe it is clear that the office is functioning, now with additional resources,” the minister highlighted.
