completion date slips back even further – Portugal Resident

Originally presented as being ready by the end of 2023, Lisbon’s long-awaited expansion of the underground (Metro) network, should now be coming on track during the first quarter of 2027.

As reports have explained, “the project, which connects two new stations to sections of the existing Green and Yellow lines, has become one of the most visible examples of delays and cost overruns in major public works projects in Portugal.”

Among the reasons cited for the delays and increased costs are: the geopolitical situation, with its impact on prices following the war in Ukraine, contractual doubts with contractors, the need for enhanced structural studies, difficulties on the ground, and archaeological findings that required further work stoppages. In many respects, these are reasons that invariably affect almost every public works project.

In this case, not only has the completion date moved forwards by over three years, but the investment – initially costed out at €210 million – has skyrocketed to ‘around €380 million’. “Almost 80% above estimate”, says Executive Digest, adding that the current AD government “recently announced a €48 million reinforcement, to conclude works, criticising previous Socialist governments for the overrun.”

The new circular line

The new circular line will be integrated into the Green Line and was designed to allow continuous travel in the central region of the city, incorporating almost the entire current Green Line and part of the Yellow Line. 

The goal is to cross central points of Lisbon, including areas such as Estrela and Santos, but the project has been contested from the beginning – the main criticism coming from residents of areas that will be served by a shorter Yellow Line.

In the new configuration, those who currently have a direct connection to the centre will have to change trains in Campo Grande, which has fueled opposition to the network design. (The possibility of operating in a ‘loop’, allowing Yellow Line trains to enter the ring road during some periods of higher traffic, was considered, but for now, it has been ruled out with the argument that it would cost an additional €10 million and cause further delays, since the signaling system was developed for the circular solution.)

That last sentence alone hints at the ‘still fluid nature of this project’. The upcoming sub-heading reinforces the situation:

Yellow line ‘could reach Benfica’…

The reduction of the Yellow Line may, however, not be definitive, writes Executive Digest today. The possibility of extending the line to the Benfica area is being analysed, with a future connection to the Sintra Line at Damaia station, an intention already mentioned by Lisbon City Council and the former president of the Metro, Vítor Santos.

Expresso newspaper also recalls that studies have been developed on this extension, which would also allow the creation of a new access to the Pontinha ‘Material and Workshops Park’, currently accessible only by the Blue Line. In a first phase, the connection to the Blue Line could be made and, subsequently, the extension of the Yellow Line to the Sintra Line.

The Lisbon Metro company says only that studies on the extension of the Yellow Line to Benfica are in a “very preliminary analysis” phase and that there is still no decision…

Red Line depends on European Investment Bank

Another major project on hold is the extension of the Red Line to Alcântara. The line, which currently connects the airport and the eastern part of the city to São Sebastião, is expected to extend westward, but is awaiting a decision from the European Investment Bank on the new financing structure.

The contract is expected to be awarded at some point during this year, with operation scheduled for 2030. 

The project was included in the Recovery and Resilience Plan, with approximately 75% of the financing guaranteed by European funds, but was withdrawn last November because it was simply not possible to execute the work within the required deadlines…

Without secured financing, the situation is that the Metro cannot award the contract. The government has said that it will guarantee that the work will be done and that, ultimately, the money will come from the State Budget. 

The planned extension is approximately 4.1 kms long and includes four new stations: Campolide/Amoreiras, Campo de Ourique, Infante Santo, and Alcântara.

The construction contract was signed in December 2023 with Mota-Engil group and SPIE Batignolles Internacional. Investment is €405.4 million, but will almost certainly increase, due to changes associated with the construction of a new access road to April 25 Bridge, say reports.

Violet line “still without decision”

Before further expansions of existing lines, Lisbon and its Metropolitan Area are both still waiting for the new Violet Line, planned for the municipalities of Odivelas and Loures. The project has already had a difficult trajectory, says Executive Digest – “with a first tender launched in March 2024 in which proposals were excluded for exceeding the base price of €450 million.

The second tender, launched in April 2025, raised the base price to €600 million and was eventually won by the Mota-Engil consortium. But the proposal had to be changed, with the replacement of the Chinese company CRRC by Polish company PESA as the rolling stock supplier, after the European Commission launched an investigation into possible subsidies from the Chinese state to CRRC.

The award now depends on the final evaluation by the tender jury. Lisbon Metro states that the decision will only be made after the final report analysing and evaluating proposals, including the implications of the European decision.

The Violet Line is expected to be approximately 11.5 kms long and have 17 stations. Unlike other expansions, it will primarily be a surface metro, with only three underground stations and two semi-underground stations. 

Completion is scheduled for 2029, but the project has already accumulated several months of delays and was also excluded from the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan). Its funding is now dependent on the European Investment Bank and the State Budget.

Rolling stock (finally) starts arriving

Expresso reports today that Lisbon Metro finally has nine of the 14 ‘triple units’ that it ordered over six years ago.

“The Lisbon Metro has already received nine new triple units out of the 14 (42 carriages in total) that it has ordered. These units will enter service in the first quarter of 2027, coinciding with the opening of the circular line,” says the company, recalling that in October 2024 it “signed a new contract for the acquisition of 24 more triple units (72 carriages), worth €134 million, with the option to acquire 12 more. This option unit is under evaluation. The new units will replace the older ones currently in service and will also serve to reinforce the service on both the circular line and the extension of the Red Line.”

The trains that have arrived are currently being tested with the new signaling system. Their introduction should lead to a reduction in delays and the time between trains, which are largely related to maintenance problems with the current fleet of carriages, adds Expresso. “The time between trains has generated criticism, with waits reaching seven minutes during peak hours, something that the Lisbon Metro hopes soon to reduce.”

The frequency of disruptions within the Lisbon Metro “has increased in recent months, related to the lack of available rolling stock due to maintenance needs, which become more burdensome with the aging of the carriages. To reinforce the fleet due to the expected increase in passengers, while simultaneously replacing older trains, 30 or 40 years old, the Metro is expected to exercise its option to purchase 12 more triple units, using European funds. Currently, the Metro has 111 triple units in service”, Expresso adds.

With a view to improving the maintenance of the railway infrastructure, the Metro also mentions “the arrival, on June 9, of a grinding vehicle – equipment that corrects deficiencies in the rails caused by wear and tear – representing an investment of €8 million. This investment has been long awaited to replace the current grinding machine, dating from 1976, which is at the end of its life.”

Last year, the Lisbon Metro lost 2.7 million passengers compared to 2024 – something the company has attributed to strikes and the Iberian blackout.

If anything, this heroic expansion shows how a well-considered plan can become ‘an absolute necessity’ if it is allowed to become delayed by too many years.

Source material: Expresso/ Executive Digest