Évora, Portugal, July 4, 2025 (Lusa) - The PS has criticised the replacement of Intercidades train carriages with "obsolete railcars" in the Alentejo, considering it to be "a serious step backwards in the quality" of the service provided by CP and "a disrespect for its users" in the region.
The Lusa news agency questioned CP - Comboios de Portugal about the issue on Wednesday afternoon via email, after learning of several criticisms from users, but has so far received no response from the company.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Évora Federation of the PS said that CP had recently withdrawn "the modern and comfortable Intercidades coaches" from the Alentejo and replaced them with "UTE 2240 railcars, which are clearly unsuitable for long distances".
"This measure represents a serious step backwards in the quality of public transport in the region and disrespect for its users," said the socialist organisation.
Also in a statement released on Thursday, the Alentejo Regional Directorate of the PCP said that the railway links between Lisbon and Évora are being made with rolling stock that is not suited to demand, with constant complaints from users.
The Évora PS, meanwhile, claimed that the decision to replace the carriages in the Alentejo followed the accident involving an Intercidades train and a lorry on the Beira Baixa line a fortnight ago.
"The replacement of rolling stock directly penalises the thousands of passengers who depend on the train every day to work, study and commute, forcing them to travel in uncomfortable and indignant conditions," he stressed.
Pointing out that it was a Socialist government that, in 2019, allowed the Alentejo to receive Intercidades for the first time, the PS stressed that this decision "cancels that achievement and reinstates a policy of discrimination that was thought to be outdated".
Quoted in the statement, Luís Dias, president of the PS Évora District Federation, said that CP's decision is unacceptable and reveals a profound disrespect for the people of Alentejo.
"We are not, nor do we accept being, second-class citizens. Achieving decent rail transport was an important step towards territorial cohesion and the development of the Alentejo. To now take that status away from us, using our region as a fallback solution, is an affront that we will not tolerate," he emphasised.
In the statement, the socialist federation demanded the immediate reinstatement of Intercidades carriages on routes to the Alentejo and a commitment from CP and the government that "the Alentejo will no longer be discriminated against in the allocation of rolling stock".
"Continued investment in the modernisation of the railway in the region, which is essential for its economic and social development," is another of the Socialists' demands.
SM/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
