High-Speed Rail: Government approves purchase of 20 trains and launches tender for the Oiã–Soure section

The Government approved, in a Council of Ministers meeting held on 22 January 2026, a set of decisions related to the development of high-speed rail in Portugal, including the acquisition of new rolling stock by CP – Comboios de Portugal and the launch of the concession tender for the Oiã–Soure section of the Porto–Lisbon High-Speed Line.

These decisions are part of the Government’s strategy for the implementation of structurally significant railway projects, with an impact on national mobility and on connections between the country’s main urban centres.

Acquisition of rolling stock for high-speed rail

Within the scope of high-speed rail, CP – Comboios de Portugal was authorised to acquire up to 20 trainsets, corresponding to the initial purchase of 12 units, with an option to acquire an additional eight. The total investment amounts to €584 million, including €45 million allocated to the construction of maintenance depots and the acquisition of equipment to ensure the operational and maintenance capacity of the new rolling stock.

This acquisition is aligned with the development of the Porto–Lisbon High-Speed Line and with the need to ensure adequate operational capacity for the future service.

Launch of the tender for the Oiã–Soure section

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing also proceeded with the launch of the concession tender for the Oiã–Soure section of the Porto–Lisbon High-Speed Line. The procedure includes the adaptation of Coimbra B station for high-speed rail and the construction of approximately 61 kilometres of new railway line, ensuring integration with the national rail network.

According to the information released, construction is expected to begin in 2027 and forms part of the first phase of the Porto–Lisbon High-Speed Line, which aims to reduce travel time between the two cities to one hour and 15 minutes.

Reinforcement of conventional rail services

The Council of Ministers also approved the acceleration and completion of the acquisition of 153 trainsets for conventional rail services. The final delivery has been brought forward from 2033 to 2031, with the first units expected in 2029, reinforcing capacity and reliability across the national rail network.

Railway safety

In the field of railway safety, the Government approved the strengthening of the supervisory and inspection framework, granting the Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT) clear responsibilities for regulation, inspection and enforcement of safety measures in the sector, addressing existing legal gaps and reinforcing user protection.

Railway service sub-concessions

The Government also decided to move forward with studies on sub-concessions of urban rail services, mandating CP to present concrete proposals for four specific routes — Cascais, Sintra/Azambuja, Sado and Porto. According to the information provided, CP has already presented the initial results of its internal studies, and a decision regarding the first sub-concession is expected in the first half of 2026.

These measures were announced by the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, following the decisions taken by the Council of Ministers.