Lisbon, July 5, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's main passenger train operator, CP, has temporarily suspended or halted trains to mitigate the risk of fire from high temperatures on the railway line, the company said on Sunday, adding that it is in contact with Civil Protection.
In addition to the cancellation of six Intercidades trains on Saturday and Sunday, services on other routes have also been disrupted.
In a statement clarifying the impact of the extreme heat on operations over the last few days, CP explained that “the effects of high temperatures are not limited to rolling stock”, and may “affect various components of the railway infrastructure, such as signalling systems, overhead lines, points and other equipment essential for the safe movement of trains”.
The risk posed by forest fires “can, and has, led to disruptions and temporary delays to trains at certain points on the rail network”, the train operator explained, adding that this is “a well-known issue faced by all European rail operators, who encounter increased difficulties whenever extreme weather events occur”.
As for the services that are still running, CP said that it had “preventive measures in place to minimise risks and ensure the best possible conditions of comfort and assistance during journeys”.
Among these measures is the decision, on some long-distance Intercidades and Alfa trains, to suspend seat sales “at times considered most critical” to reduce passenger numbers, as well as to step up operational monitoring and provide more water at various points across the network, the company states.
The newspaper Público reported on Sunday that some cancellations are due to a lack of maintenance of the air-conditioning systems on trains currently in service, but the company insisted that maintenance has been carried out.
In the statement, CP acknowledged that “some series of rolling stock, due to their age, have limitations in relation to current air-conditioning standards” and said that it was taking “operational measures to minimise the impact of these extreme conditions”.
“Parked trains are kept with the curtains closed and/or windows open, to reduce the build-up of heat in trains without air conditioning” and, on trains with air-conditioning systems, “whenever operationally feasible, the systems remain switched on whilst the trains are parked, providing more suitable levels of comfort for passengers”.
Acknowledging “the existing constraints”, CP said, “the air-conditioning on trains currently in service is fully functional and that the company scrupulously carries out periodic maintenance of all rolling stock, including air-conditioning systems”.
According to CP’s website, today(Sunday) and on Saturday, the Intercidades services were adjusted between Lisbon Santa Apolónia and Guarda (departing at 12:30 p.m.), between Guarda and Lisbon Santa Apolónia (12:48 p.m.), between Lisbon Santa Apolónia and Porto Campanhã (3:30 p.m.), between Porto Campanhã and Lisbon Santa Apolónia (12:45 p.m.), between Lisbon Oriente and Faro (2:02 p.m.), and between Faro and Lisbon Oriente (2:15 p.m.).
An official company source told Lusa that, in addition to the Intercidades services, “there were two further cancellations on Lisbon’s urban train services due to a fault with the air conditioning”.
On the Sintra line, there were cancellations that “were directly linked to a collision which caused major disruption to services”, the company explained.
PCT/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
