OThe new trains will have the capacity to circulate 300 km/h and carry 500 passengers each. The first railcar will arrive within four years.
The Government authorized CP to spend 584.28 million euros on the purchase of 12 high-speed railcars and the modernization of Contumil’s workshops, according to a resolution published this Monday in Diário da República.
Of this total investment, 539.28 million euros relate to the acquisition of 12 high-speed self-propelled units and respective park parts and special tools, with the remaining 45 million the development of workshop park and maintenance infrastructure modernization.
A of the Council of Ministers determines that the may include in the tender documents for the acquisition of new railcars the right of option to purchase up to eight additional railcarshowever, this can only be activated “through express authorization dsectoral and financial supervision, as well as obtaining the respective expenditure authorization”.
The new trains will have the capacity to circulate at 300 kilometers/hour and transport 500 passengers per unitwith the delivery deadline for the first railcar of 48 months.
These investments are part of the first phase of the Investment Plan in Railway Rolling Stock for CP.
Second fleet for international transport
In a second phase, “in accordance with the evolution of national and international infrastructure”, it is planned to launch a second tender for a second fleet designed for international transport, consisting of up to six self-propelledtotaling a fleet of 26 car engine (national and international transport).
The costs for the purchase of the 12 railcars nto the could exceed 50.4 million euros annually in 2027, 2028 and 2029increasing to 117.6 million em 2030 e 246,96 em 2031 and setting a maximum of 23.52 million euros in 2032.
The costs necessary for the development of the workshop park or the modernization of maintenance infrastructure cannot exceed the global amount of 45 million euroswith a maximum of 22.5 million euros in 2029 and another in 2030.
Under the terms of the resolution of the Council of Ministers published today, these amounts set for each economic year may be increased by the balance calculated in the previous year.
The charges now approved “must be met, depending on their nature and eligibility, through the use of European funds, when compatible with the rules of liberalization of the railway sector and State aid or, alternatively, through the use of market financing solutions”.
“Greater investment in the acquisition of trains”
At the end of the Council of Ministers in which this investment was approved, on January 22, the Ministry of Infrastructure announced that the Government had decided accelerate the purchase of 153 railcars (55 regional and 98 urban), with the last delivery to be brought forward from 2033 to 2031.
The additional investment will be 318 million euros and the delivery of the first composition is scheduled for 2029with the deadline being brought forward by 17 months.
“This is the largest investment in the acquisition of trains ever made in Portugal, with the value reaching over 1.6 billion euros – adding to the 746 million euros in the base contract for the 117 railcars the 318 million euros now approved for early delivery, as well as the 584 million for Alta Velocidade”, read the statement then released by the ministry.
During the discussion in the specialty of the Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, had already announced that the CP would purchase approximately 200 trains over the next few years.
stated that the Government was preparing the “legislative process for the purchase of trains for future LAV (high-speed lines)”: “This is the largest purchase of trains ever in our country. In total we are talking about around 200 new railcars that will arrive at CP”, he then said.
