The company will be able to rely on the definition of a set of service obligations such as, for example, the type of services that must exist on each line and station of the network and the number of trains per day that must perform these services.

The contract also lays down rules on tariffs and the guarantees given to passengers.

Under this contract, CP receives compensation for the provision of a public service, which was already the case, even without the contract, to cover the loss generated by loss-making services.

On Wednesday, when questioned by journalists, the Minister Pedro Nuno Santos did not reveal the amount of compensation to pay to CP. Clarification will be made at the signing ceremony, scheduled for 16:30 at Rossio station in Lisbon.

Pedro Santos said the contract will guarantee CP's administration a degree of autonomy, predictability and stability in management that previous administrations never managed to have.

"It doesn't make much sense for the state to guarantee this to private companies with which it has concession contracts, and then not have a predictable, stabilized relationship with its railroad company," the minister added.

The coordinator of the Transport Unions (Fectrans), José Manuel Oliveira, said Wednesday to Lusa that there is no public service contract that will be successful if there is no change in the Government in relation to workers, particularly in relation to working conditions and wages. Today we have a problem, which is the inability to recruit workers.