Major Upgrade for Lisbon Metro: Government Approves €140 Million Investment

Government Greenlights Metro Expansion

The Portuguese Government has officially authorized the rescheduling of multi-year expenses for the acquisition of 24 new triple units (72 carriages) for the Lisbon Metro, with an option to purchase up to 12 additional compositions (36 carriages).

This decision was part of a resolution approved on October 7 during a Council of Ministers meeting and published in the Diário da República.

Budget Details

The authorization includes expenditures for the triple units and necessary studies and advisory services, with a maximum total budget of €140 million, plus VAT. According to the resolution, the public procurement procedure was only completed on October 22, 2024, which delayed the financial execution of the initially planned contract.

To align the expenses with the contract execution timeline, which spans from 2024 to 2029, the government had to reschedule the budget. The annual budget limits for the acquisition of rolling stock, along with VAT, are as follows:

• 2024: €130,000
• 2025: €7.37 million
• 2026: €16.5 million
• 2027: €40 million
• 2028: €46 million
• 2029: €30 million

Funding Sources

The acquisition will be financed through the Climate Action and Sustainability Program (PACS), with a total allocation of €45 million distributed across the years:

• 2025: €1.037 million
• 2026: €7.5 million
• 2027: €13.4 million
• 2028: €22.9 million

Public Transport Developments

In March 2024, the previous government extended the public transport service concession for the Lisbon Metro until 2030, with an investment of around €71 million. The Metro is currently undergoing various projects, including the extension of the Yellow and Green lines and the expansion of the Red line to Alcântara.

The Lisbon Metro operates daily across four lines: Yellow (Rato-Odivelas), Green (Telheiras-Cais do Sodré), Blue (Reboleira-Santa Apolónia), and Red (Airport-São Sebastião), typically running from 6:30 AM to 1:00 AM.