Portugal has begun construction on the first section of the long-awaited high-speed rail link between Lisbon and Porto.
However, passengers will have to wait several years to benefit from the faster journey times the project promises.
On Monday, 12 October, the first phase of construction officially began, covering the 71-kilometre stretch between Porto Campanhã and Oiã, in the Aveiro district.
The line is designed for trains travelling at speeds of up to 300km/h, and the completed route is expected to cut direct journeys between Portugal’s two largest cities to around one hour and 15 minutes.
As reported by ECO, the project will involve extensive engineering works, including eight kilometres of tunnels and 19 kilometres of bridges and viaducts, as well as a new bridge over the River Douro to accommodate both trains and road traffic.
In addition, Porto Campanhã station will expand and be redeveloped to accommodate high-speed services.
A new connection to the existing Northern Line near Canelas will also allow trains to serve Aveiro’s current station, which is also due to be adapted as part of the scheme.
Opening schedule
Despite the start of construction, the full 75-minute journey time remains several years away.
According to the timetable published by Infraestruturas de Portugal, the Porto Campanhã to Oiã section is scheduled for completion by 2030, while the following stretches, Oiã to Soure and Soure to Carregado, are expected to be completed by 2032.
The final section, connecting Carregado to Lisbon Oriente, will follow later, with the one-hour and 15-minute journey targeted at direct services once the entire route is operational, rather than a benefit passengers should expect when the first section opens.
This investment announced by the Government for the Porto to Oiã section stands at around €2 billion, and funding is expected to come from the European Investment Bank, alongside support from the Connecting Europe Facility.
Furthermore, the Government projects a journey time of about three hours between Lisbon and Madrid by 2034, reinforcing rail connections between Portugal and Spain.
Contention point
While construction is underway on the northern section, the planned high-speed station's location in Vila Nova de Gaia continues to draw opposition.
The current proposal envisages an underground station at Santo Ovídio, approximately 60 metres below ground.
However, Luís Filipe Menezes, Mayor of Gaia, challenged the choice and called for consideration of an alternative location in Mafamude and Vilar do Paraíso.
The mayor has raised concerns about potential construction disruption, particularly its impact on traffic, local businesses, and access to Gaia Hospital.
Miguel Pinto Luz, Minister for Infrastructure, has reiterated that Santo Ovídio remains the planned location, but has also committed to hearing the mayor’s arguments before decisions are made.
Therefore, the dispute remains unresolved, even as work begins elsewhere on the route.
Network capacity
Infraestruturas de Portugal reveals that moving long-distance services onto the new infrastructure should free up capacity on the existing Northern Line, creating more room for suburban and regional passenger services, as well as freight trains.
For passengers, travelling between Lisbon and Porto in just 75 minutes could make day trips between the two cities much easier.