“The challenge I presented to the Mayor [of Leiria] is that he, through the CIM and the city of Leiria itself, as the capital of this whole region, can design a fine capillarity network, a metrobus that can serve more populations, to promote movement towards the new high-speed station,” Miguel Pinto Luz told journalists.
The official was speaking after signing a cooperation protocol between the Municipality of Leiria and Infraestruturas de Portugal to develop urbanization plans for the new Leiria and Sismaria stations, as part of the implementation of the Soure-Carregado section of the high-speed rail network.
This section includes a station in the Barosa area, in the municipality of Leiria, at the border with Marinha Grande.
“The new high-speed Barosa station cannot restrict its action to the city of Leiria alone; it has to embrace more,” stated Miguel Pinto Luz.
The minister further stated that the high-speed station “will add more dimension to the city and this region, which will quickly become an almost metropolitan area, thanks to its economic, social, and cultural capabilities, and due to the investments this Government has already decided on.”
Among these investments, Miguel Pinto Luz highlighted the connection of the Complementary Itinerary (IC) 31 to the border as a highway and the transformation of the IC8.
“It will bring Leiria closer to Madrid, closer to Porto through high speed, and closer to Lisbon through high speed; I would say that Leiria is becoming the center of the world,” he said.
When asked if there is government funding for the metrobus, Pinto Luz responded: “Naturally, the Government has been supporting other metrobus movements, such as what happens in the Mondego Metro, what is happening in Braga, what is happening in Guimarães, the expansion of the Porto Metro, what happens in the South Tagus Metro.”
“The Government has made an effort to support and we launched the challenge to the Municipal Council and the CIM to do the same here in the Leiria Region,” he added.
The Intermunicipal Community of the Leiria Region includes the municipalities of Alvaiázere, Ansião, Batalha, Castanheira de Pera, Figueiró dos Vinhos, Leiria, Marinha Grande, Pedrógão Grande, Pombal, and Porto de Mós.
The high-speed line Porto — Lisbon will allow a maximum speed of 300 kilometers per hour and is intended exclusively for passenger traffic.
The Soure — Carregado section crosses the municipalities of Rio Maior, Azambuja, Alenquer, Cadaval, Caldas da Rainha, Alcobaça, Porto de Mós, Leiria, Marinha Grande, and Pombal.
The link of the future high-speed line to the Northern Line will be made in the Carregado area, while the future Leiria station will allow interconnection with the Western Line.
