The Portuguese Council of Ministers has approved today three diplomas related to railways, to continue the sector investments and follow up on the priority to the public service of railways and infrastructure management, namely the creation of the Railway Competence Centre Association.
"The Railway Competence Centre was foreseen in the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 110/2019, of July 5, which established a set of strategic guidelines for the revitalisation of the passenger rail transport service provided by CP - Comboios de Portugal, E. P. E.
It will have its headquarters in the Guifões - Matosinhos, workshop park and will be a non-profit association, which includes, besides the entities to which this authorisation of expenditure is given by the Government, also PFP - Portuguese Railway Platform Association and the University of Porto Foundation, which do not need this authorisation.
The Centre's main objective is "the promotion and exercise of initiatives and activities of technical training, research, development and innovation (R&DI) in technology, particularly in the area of railways and railway equipment, promoting and encouraging specialized training, cooperation and technology transfer between companies, universities, organizations and other public and private entities, with a view to increasing R&DI capacity and consequent increase in qualified employment, improved competitiveness and growth in turnover and exports of the entities involved."
Lisbon, 15 July 2021