Entroncamento, Santarem, Portugal, Dec. 19, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese government announced on Friday the negotiation of 36 new regional trains for the country's passenger train operator, CP, which will join the 22 already ordered, strengthening the fleet and modernising a network whose latest rolling stock is over 40 years old.
"We have issued an instruction to CP to proceed with the option of 36 new units, which will join the 22 already ordered, in an effort to ensure quality, sustainability and responsiveness to user needs," said the minister for infrastructure and housing today in Entroncamento, in the Santarém district.
"In total, we are talking around 200 new trains, including those intended for high speed, but even so, CP has already indicated to us that it would need almost double that number, such is the pace of accumulated obsolescence," added Miguel Pinto Luz, advocating a long-term commitment, regardless of the political cycle.
The minister was speaking at the presentation of the first train in a total of 22 regional service trains ordered from Stadler in 2020, marking the end of four decades without renewal of the regional fleet.
Pinto Luz described the moment as a "historic day", stressing that the newest train in the regional fleet is over 40 years old, a situation that reinforces the urgency of public investment.
The minister explained that the new railcar is dual-mode, can operate in electric or diesel mode and can serve lines that are not yet electrified, while Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP - the country's road and rail infrastructure network manager) modernises the railway network from north to south of the country.
"We are in a demanding process of electrification and modernisation line by line, and this rolling stock is essential to ensure quality of service during this transition," he said.
Pinto Luz also stressed the importance of overcoming historical technical limitations of the national railway system, arguing that investment in rolling stock must be accompanied by the modernisation of signalling and interoperability.
"Portugal is not only a railway island because of its gauge, but also because of its signalling systems, and we are working with IP, the institute of mobility and transport (IMT), CP and private partners to ensure the ability to operate and cooperate across borders," he said.
Speaking to Lusa on the sidelines of the presentation, the minister for the environment and energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, highlighted that the arrival of the new railcars represents "a good day for Portugal and for all rail users", emphasising that the 22 trains are part of a set of investments essential for the sustainability of public transport.
"These investments are crucial to ensuring clean and decarbonised public transport and are in line with the green transition to which Portugal is committed," said the minister, noting that the transport sector is responsible for 34% of greenhouse gas emissions, above the European Union average.
According to the minister, the goal of the National Energy and Climate Plan (PNEC 2030) is to reduce transport emissions by 40% by 2030, compared to 2005, a target she considers impossible to meet without accelerating investment in public transport.
"So far, we have only managed to reduce emissions by 9%, so it is essential to modernise fleets and create real alternatives to individual transport," she said.
The minister stressed that the investment in railways includes a broader strategy to promote public transport, with investments in metros and electric modes of transport.
"We are making up for lost time in sustainable mobility, with investments in the Lisbon, Porto, Mondego and Sul do Tejo metros, with the expansion of new lines, because only with more supply, comfort and quality can we change behaviour and reduce emissions," she said.
Investments in rolling stock and railway infrastructure are financed by the 2030 Sustainable Programme, the Environmental Fund and the Recovery and Resilience Programme, comprising a total allocation of more than €3.2 billion for sustainable transport.
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