The analysis will be developed in close collaboration with CP – Comboios de Portugal and Transtejo Soflusa, aiming to design a possible coordinated adjustment between the different transport operators.

The main focus of the measure is to ensure a better response to the mobility needs of the population of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, especially during periods when the current public transport network coverage is most limited.

Currently, the capital's metro network operates daily between 6:30 am and 1:00 am. According to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing, led by Miguel Pinto Luz, any scenario to alter or extend this period will have to rigorously consider the necessary human and technical resources, the financial impact on the system, and, above all, the rescheduling of night maintenance work.

Technical interventions carried out on the infrastructure during the early hours of the morning are considered vital to ensure the safety and reliability of daily operations, and therefore, the Government emphasises that the current schedule results from a delicate balance between user demand and operational safety requirements.

The Executive's openness to studying the dossier follows parliamentary questions from Chega, which criticised the rigidity of the current schedules, calling them inadequate for the reality of shift workers.

In response, the Ministry argues that, outside exceptional contexts, data indicate that demand for high-capacity transport during the early morning hours is low and is usually met more efficiently by surface transport.

Even so, the Ministry points out that the Metro already extends its service during mass events, such as Santo António, New Year's Eve, or football nights, and admits that any structural adjustments are part of the company's new 2026-2028 Strategic Plan, aimed at strengthening service and intermodality.

Alongside the debate on operating hours, the Government also responded to persistent complaints about failures in accessibility equipment at stations, which in 2024 registered severe unavailability rates, around 24% for elevators and 14% for escalators.

To reverse this scenario and return to pre-pandemic efficiency standards by September of this year, the Lisbon Metro abandoned the single maintenance contract model, replacing it with individualised contracts per station and per piece of equipment, allowing for faster repairs.

In parallel, the ongoing strategic plan foresees the complete replacement of end-of-life elevators and the creation of direct external access to platforms, aiming to mitigate barriers to reduced mobility on the network.