Abrantes, Portugal, Sept. 4, 2026 (Lusa) - Services on the Beira Baixa Line will resume on 20 September, with the reopening of the section between Mouriscas-A and Ródão , which Storm Kristin had damaged, following an investment of €3.4 million, Infraestruturas de Portugal announced on Thursday.
The reopening of this section will enable CP – Comboios de Portugal to resume Regional and Intercidades services along the entire length of the Beira Baixa Line and allow freight operators to resume services on this rail link, according to Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP).
In a statement, IP explained that two landslides, between kilometres 39.150 and 39.270, required work to stabilise the embankments, reinforce the railway platform, improve drainage and fully restore the track and the affected systems.
The works included the placement of approximately 5,500 cubic metres of rockfill, the construction of two reinforced concrete structures founded on micropiles, and an intermediate crown beam.
The team also rehabilitated and improved the culverts and restored telecommunications and signalling systems, as well as the remaining affected railway infrastructure.
According to IP, the works have improved the safety of the infrastructure through the structural reinforcement of the embankment with deep foundations, improved drainage and the installation of geotechnical instrumentation to monitor the embankment and structures.
IP noted that the works took place under «particularly demanding» conditions, due to limited access to the site, the instability of the track bed, the restricted space for manoeuvring equipment, and logistical challenges in transporting materials, compounded by high temperatures during the works.
«This reopening represents much more than the completion of a construction project. It marks the return of an essential rail link for local communities, following the disruption caused by adverse weather conditions,» said IP's chairman, Paulo Carmona, as quoted in the press release.
He emphasised that the priority was to restore the infrastructure «safely» and «as quickly as possible», in an operation that made it possible «not only to resume services but also to reinforce the infrastructure and improve its safety and resilience».
CP's chairman, Pedro Moreira, also highlighted that the resumption of services «ensures the provision of an essential rail service for people's mobility and for connecting different regions».
The Beira Baixa Line, approximately 240 kilometres long, connects Entroncamento to Guarda, passing through Abrantes, Castelo Branco and Covilhã.
Following the weather events at the start of the year, train services operated on a reduced basis, and the operator implemented replacement bus services on the affected sections.
Since 16 March, and whilst repair work is ongoing, CP has provided a replacement bus service for Intercidades services between Abrantes and Guarda and for Regional services between Mouriscas-A and Vila Velha de Ródão, according to information provided by CP.
Regional trains have been running between Entroncamento and Mouriscas-A and between Vila Velha de Ródão and Castelo Branco, whilst Intercidades services have been running between Lisbon-Santa Apolónia and Abrantes.
On 27 July, the Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Hugo Espírito Santo, told Lusa that the Beira Baixa Line was due to reopen in September or October, «a little earlier» than originally planned.
The reopening, announced for 20 September, will also help to boost the capacity of the national rail network and restore redundancy with the Beira Alta Line for international rail freight transport, according to IP.
A series of storms struck Portugal at the start of the year, resulting in casualties, displacement, significant losses, and damage to road and rail infrastructure.
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