In a statement sent by Infrastructures of Portugal (IP), the entity confirms that the public tender for the project was published on 6 August in Diário da República, with a deadline of 23 months for finishing the construction.

“This public tender is the second to be launched for this project, with the first one having been cancelled, because all companies have submitted proposals with higher values than the base price”, explained IP.

At stake is the electrification of the Algarve Line along the Tunes/Lagos section, covering a distance of 45 kilometres and representing an estimated investment of €30 million.

The contract includes the lowering of the railway in some parts, the restoration of the metal bridges in Portimão and Vale da Lama, the construction of new infrastructure to support the signalling systems and telecommunications as well as repairs of on unstable slopes.

The demolition, rehabilitation or execution of new longitudinal and transversal drainage in the lowered areas of the railway, works in station buildings and stops and the improvement of pedestrian crossings are also planned.

In addition to the Tunes – Lagos section, the electrification project of the Algarve Line also includes the Faro – Vila Real de Santo António section (56 kilometres), whose contract was signed in July.

The tender for this project has a base value estimated at €23 million and should be concluded by the end of 2023.

The total investment for the electrification of the Algarve Line is €70 million, which also includes the development of studies and projects, the construction of an electrical traction substation in Olhão, the expansion of an electrical substation in Tunes, remodelling of the system of energy, technical rooms and reformulation of level crossings.

The Algarve Line electrification project should receive 85 percent of the total funding from the EU COMPETE 2020 programme, included in the Recovery and Resilience Plan.