Aveiro, Portugal, Sept. 16, 2026 (Lusa) – Preparatory work for the construction of the Porto–Oiã section of the High-Speed Rail Line is set to begin at the end of this month, a source at AVAN – the concessionaire responsible for building and maintaining the section – said on Tuesday.
«As regards work on the ground, the plan is to begin the initial preparatory work and the first mobilisations here at the end of this month, and we will start precisely in the south, in the Aveiro area, with several work fronts,» said Álvaro Fonseca, AVAN's director of operations.
He was speaking to an audience of around 150 people during an information session on the high-speed rail line held in the late afternoon in Aveiro, aimed at residents of the parishes along the route.
According to a source at the concessionaire, preparatory work for the project will begin in September with the setup of the construction sites for the Rio Largo Bridge and the Rio Vouga Bridge; in October, the first excavations will take place, along with clearing and earthworks.
Regarding the expropriation process, the company says around 500 plots in Aveiro are affected, about 300 have already been contacted, and more than 120 agreements are in place.
«AVAN's aim is to reach an agreement with the majority of landowners (…). It is a negotiation that we want to be amicable and reasonable», said Álvaro Fonseca.
He also highlighted the employment opportunities, noting that there will be a maintenance centre in the Estarreja area which «will have to employ a significant number of people who will be responsible for maintaining the line», in addition to the construction process itself, «which will certainly generate some employment opportunities here too».
Also present at the same session, the Mayor of Aveiro, Luís Souto Miranda, emphasised the strategic importance of the high-speed rail line for the municipality, noting that «Aveiro lies on a very important route, which extends as far as Galicia».
«We are also talking about bringing the city of Vigo within just over one hour's reach of Aveiro,» stated the mayor, adding that the municipality gains a very important competitive advantage, «which is the strong connection that will certainly be reinforced by the existing infrastructure in the city of Porto, notably the airport».
During the meeting, participants raised several queries regarding the excavation work for the high-speed rail tunnel, which will take place close to existing homes. Representatives from the concessionaire assured those present that the foundations would not be directly affected and that a vibration monitoring programme is planned during and after construction.
Nevertheless, company officials acknowledged that in situations where houses are very close to the excavation area, «there may be a need for some temporary relocation of residents».
Another concern is protecting existing wells near the worksite, with AVAN officials saying they will monitor water quality and the water table in mapped or licensed wells.
In addition to this session, a permanent information centre will soon begin operating in Campanha, and a mobile information centre will visit all parishes on dates to be announced shortly, providing personalised advice.
The high-speed rail line project in Aveiro comprises an 8.19-kilometre stretch of railway and an estimated land area of 57.16 hectares; it is set to reduce the journey time between Aveiro and Porto by around 15 to 20 minutes, compared with travel times on the Alfa Pendular service.
JDN/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
