Porto will have a “big problem” on New Year’s Eve

After all, there is a subway, but not across the entire network, only until 8pm and with much fewer trips. Rui Moreira leaves a warning, STCP reinforces several lines.

A greve by the Machinists’ Union for today and tomorrow, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day respectively, forced the Metro do Porto canceling the operation scheduled for the night of New Year’s Evein which more than 100 thousand people are expected in the Allies.

In a statement, the carrier said this Monday that the strike called by the Portuguese Railway Train Drivers’ Union (SMAQ) will affect the service, in particular the offer “scheduled for New Year’s Eve”, which “is cancelled. ”.

Metro do Porto guarantees, however, the making some trips on these days on routes that traditionally have a greater influx of users.

“So, tomorrow [hoje, terça-feira]Metro circulation is recorded only until 8:00 pm, on the common trunk (between Senhora da Hora and Estádio do Dragão stations) and on the Yellow Line (only on the Hospital São João-Santo Ovídio section), with an average passing frequency of 15 minutes. On other lines and routes, there will be no trips throughout the day,” the company added.

This strike “will also have an impact throughout the first day of 2025with an offer completely identical to that offered on December 31st. In this case, however, the operation starts at 06:00 and ends at 01:00, and is also limited to the common trunk and the Yellow Line (Hospital São João-Santo Ovídio)”.

More buses

The service of buses it will be reinforced between 9pm and 5:50am on New Year’s Eve, “to ensure efficient and comfortable transport for the thousands of expected visitors” in downtown Porto, the Sociedade de Transportes Coletivos do Porto said today (STCP).

Between 9pm on Tuesday and 00:30 on Wednesday12 of the 37 night service lines will be reinforced with an average number of trips every 20 minutes and the allocation of vehicles with greater capacity, says STCP, specifying that lines 200, 201, 501, 600, 602, 700, 701, 702, 800, 903, 904 and 905 are at stake.

Between 00:30 and 02:30 on Wednesday, “in anticipation of a greater flow of passengers returning from the festivities”, these 12 lines will still have the extended service, along with the entry into circulation of the 12 lines of the Dawn Networkwith nine of them also reinforced with additional shifts.

From 2:30 am, passengers will have the Rede da Madrugada, “which maintains the reinforcement of the nine lines until 5:30 am”.

STCP also said that, from 8:30 pm on Tuesday until 7 am on the first day of the New Year, the lines will be concentrated in special terms in the city’s downtown, namely in the areas of Cordoaria, Trindade, Bolhão, São Bento and Batalha.

100 thousand people

Last week, the Porto Chamber said it hoped that more than 100 thousand people attended upon return from Avenida dos Aliados as the ‘epicenter’ of the New Year’s Eve party, asking people to travel to party locations by public transport.

In Porto, the New Year’s Eve party features shows by Nuno Ribeiro and Rui Velosowelcoming 2025 in the Aliados, and with the traditional fireworks display launched from the chamber building, with a party also in the Crystal Palacewith the participation of Julinho KSD and Branko.

Revealing that the cost of this year’s festivities will be around 450 thousand euros“a little more than last year”, Mayor Rui Moreira welcomed that this time the municipality has Avenida dos Aliados at its disposal, “a very large space that involves a greater investment”.

The mayor also called for the use of public transport, which should work “with great efficiency”: “If people can avoid using the individual vehicle, they should do so, for reasons of comfort and convenience and also for safety”.

“Big problem”

But the mayor of Porto assumed this Monday that the city will have “a big problem” on New Year’s Eve due to the strike at Metro do Porto and appealed to the Train Drivers’ Union to choose another date.

“We’re going to have a big problem. There are people who will stop coming to the festivities in the city and we are sorry that this is the case because we prepared all this and made a big investment, but I am very worried about the people who are going to work that night and who, afterwards, will not be able to return the house”, said Rui Moreira in statements to Lusa.

“If the unions could strike on any other day It would be an end-of-year gift for the population,” he said.

And he added: “While there is life there is hope, therefore, until tomorrow [terça-feira] Maybe something will happen that will surprise us positively.“.