The order for 117 EMUs awarded to Alstom and DST is the largest ever by the national operator.
PORTUGUESE Trains (CP) has signed a €746 million contract with the Alstom consortium and local partner Domingos da Silva Teixeira (DST) for the supply of 117 EMUs, which according to CP represents the largest investment in rolling stock in the company’s history.
The contract covers the supply of 62 ECUs for passenger lines in Lisbon and Porto and 55 ECUs for regional services. It also includes the establishment of a fleet maintenance facility in Givóis, north of Porto, and the supply of spare parts.
The Portuguese government says the order represents an important step towards addressing the shortage of rolling stock in Portugal. The new EMU fleet is financed with €117.6 million from the European Union and €212.5 million from the Environment Fund managed by the Portuguese Ministry of Environment and Energy.
CP says the first trains are scheduled to arrive in 2029, and it is considering measures to speed up delivery and exercising an option to purchase an additional 36 ECUs for passenger services. The Portuguese Cabinet has mandated CP to exercise this option immediately in order to accelerate the modernization of the fleet, and to compensate for the delay in signing the contract caused by two unsuccessful legal challenges.
Under a tender launched in July 2021, the Alstom/DST consortium was confirmed as the preferred bidder in December 2023. Legal challenges were launched by rival bidders Stadler and CAF, which were rejected in July and September respectively.
The exercise of the option is expected to increase the total value of the order to €819 million. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing told local media that production will take place at Alstom’s Barcelona plant and in Givóis, where the new plant is expected to create 300 direct jobs and 1,500 indirect jobs.
“Investment in railways is a clear goal of this government,” says Infrastructure and Housing Minister Miguel Pinto Luz.
“The signing of this contract represents a major step forward, putting an end to delays caused by legal issues, which have been hampering the modernization of CP’s fleet and the service provided to residents, who are increasingly using the railway.”
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