modernization project of the Cascais line will only be completed in 2021 – Observer

The government will ask for the allocation of EUR 126 million of Community funds Juncker Plan for so eagerly awaited works of Cascais train line advances the Daily News in edition Sunday. The project to change the electric current of the line, incompatible with the rest of the rail network, and renew the trains that circulate there is old. But because of its complexity and the high investment required, has been permanently postponed.

Once abandoned the previous government’s project concessioned suburban line private, that never got off the ground, the plan now goes through submit an application to the European package for infrastructure funds. According to DN Sunday, the works should only be completed by the end of 2021.

The carriages circulating in Cascais has several decades, some dating back to the 50s of last century, and despite the renovation still held by Sorefame in the late 90s, you need new rolling stock. In addition to electric traction and trains are also needed investments in signaling and infrastructure. The wear in the compositions has caused an increasing number of breakdowns and maintenance work that has already led to CP to reduce the supply of trains on the Cascais line.

Back in February the Minister of Planning and Infrastructure, Pedro Marques, had announced the Government’s intention to use the Juncker plan for that line modernization project.

at the time, Pedro Marques had said that this would be the first state project Portuguese to target the European Fund for Strategic Investment, the European Commission. “This is one of the projects we would like to apply to Juncker plan,” said the minister last February 26 in Parliament. The minister did not specify how they will be the renewal of that line train, leaving only the certainty that there will be no concessions for projects in the transport area.

The modernization of the railway line Cascais was one of the projects included in Strategic plan for Transport and Infrastructure 2014-2020 approved in 2014 by the previous Passos Coelho government, which included an expense of 160 million euros mainly financed by Community funds.

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