“This is paradigmatic of the transformational change that the current government has instilled in CP’s management and the ambition we have for CP,” he said.

The Minister was speaking in Aveiro during the signing of an addendum to a contract between CP and the Alstom-DST consortium for the acquisition of 36 more trains in addition to the 117 already provided for in the base contract signed in October.

Historic day

In his speech, Miguel Pinto Luz said this was a historic day, adding that between 2025 and 2031, there would be no year without the delivery of new rolling stock to CP.

“We are talking about a total of more than 190 new trains for CP, representing the renewal of just over 40% of CP’s total fleet,” he said.

The Minister pointed out that the company had not received any trains for more than 20 years and that the average age of its fleet was over 40 years, arguing that the country could not continue to survive with a CP with few trains and poor trains.

Need for trains

“Portugal needs more trains. Portugal needs trains sooner. Portugal urgently needs to renew its fleet to serve all Portuguese people,” he said.

In addition to the acquisition of rolling stock, Pinto Luz said that the Government is “empowering CP in human capital, with an agreement that has guaranteed social peace, and with the ability to design pricing policies”, highlighting that the company transported more than 200 million passengers in 2025.

Expanding CP

“We want CP to be big, we want CP to be incumbent, and we want CP to keep its accounts in order, because it will have accounts to settle with the Portuguese people,” said the Minister.

The 36 additional railcars for urban service provided for in the addendum to the contract signed today represent an investment of €318 million.

In total, CP will acquire 153 trains (55 for regional service and 98 for urban service) worth €1.064 billion, thereby modernising and strengthening CP’s offer throughout the country.

In addition to the renewal of the fleet, this procedure also anticipates the last delivery of trains in 17 months, by 2031.

The new trains, which will begin arriving in Portugal in 2029, will also be produced domestically, as the contract provides for the installation of a workshop in Matosinhos, creating 300 direct jobs.

The Government has also authorised CP to purchase 12 high-speed trains, with an option for eight more, in an investment of €584 million.