In 2003 Porto in Portugal got a new light rail system. Now there are new Investments of 49.6 Million Euro that reinforce the fleet and will improve the public transportation to getting improved.
Metro do Porto’s Board of Directors in Porto approved the Final Jury Report of the International Public Tender for the acquisition of rolling stock, validating the proposed award presented by CRRC Tangsthan. With the approval of the Jury Report, Metro do Porto will receive 18 new vehicles, for a total value of 49.6 million euros.
I think that the investment is fully acceptable for a city that knows how to run a well made light rail tram and tram-train system. These new trams are financed by the Environmental Fund of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action.
New Metro do Porto Light Rail trams will reach 80 km/hour
The new Metro do Porto vehicles will be able to operate commercially on the various lines of the network, complying with all operational and safety standards. The capacity of the new “meters” will be 252 seats, 64 of which will be seated.
These new trains will have two cabins and operate in bidirectional mode (like the current ones), reaching a maximum speed of 80 km/hour. With this investment, the Metro do Porto fleet will have 120 units – 72 Bombardier Eurotram, 30 Bombardier Tram-Train, and 18 new CRRCs.
It is recalled that last April, three interested parties had responded to the international public tender for the acquisition of 18 new Metro do Porto vehicles, launched less than a year ago, on December 21, 2018. They were CRRC Tangsthan , Siemens Mobility, and Skoda Transportation. The tender procedure had a reference value of 56.1 million euros, including, in addition to the supply, the maintenance of these units for a period of five years.
Metro do Porto thus achieved a reduction of 6.5 million euros compared to the investment initially planned. So they do a great business out of transporting people in an environmentally friendly way.
All of the Candidates were all evaluated
The candidates’ proposals were evaluated in terms of price, technical value, and design (including aspects such as capacity, comfort, and accessibility). The new meters are expected to start being delivered between 2021 and 2023, at the rate of one per month.
As mentioned and taking into account the increased demand that the system has been registering in a very consolidated way over the last few months, we will try to count on some of the new units. Then once produced according to the demanding specifications of the Metro do Porto and properly tested in the field which will happen during the second half of 2021.
Expansion of Metro do Porto Light Rail system in the works
By ordering this new fleet of trams for Porto. The company is getting ready for the expansion of the network. This will include a new line going from Sao Bento on Line D to Casa da Música on the rest of the lines. Also in the very near future, you will see the Yellow Line with most of the underground stations on the network to be extended to the south, between Santo Ovídio and Vila d’Este, in Vila Nova de Gaia which will be a 2 km extension to the south.
The works for the new lines are due to start soon, with construction work going on until 2023 when the new line and sections will be available for the public to use. The new Metro do Porto lines will make the network 6 kilometers longer and seven stations will be added which is representing a global investment in the order of 300 million euros.
Metro do Porto operates a network with 6 lines, which is 67 kilometers and 82 stations reaching seven municipalities in Porto areas. It is used by more than 62 million users in 2018. In 2019, the rate of growth in demand exceeds 13 percent, and it is estimated that the year ends with the global demand of over 70 million customers. This network of light rail trams and light rail tram-trains shows that your city with the same amount of people can achieve the same goals if your politicians understand it.
