Lisbon, Oct. 10, 2024 (Lusa) - Portugal's minister for infrastructure and housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, said on Thursday that he wanted CP - Comboios de Portugal to remain a state-owned company but that it "should not occupy 100% of the available space" on the Portuguese railway.

"I'm in favour of a public CP, but I'm not in favour of CP occupying 100% of the available space," he said in parliament.

"It is this state-owned CP, I repeat, state-owned, that I want to empower, that I want to modernise, that I want to be able to compete with Renfe in Spain, with pride in what CP does, but with ambition," he added.

Miguel Pinto Luz was summoned to parliament by a question from Livre, in the context of the National Rail Pass and investment in the railway in Portugal.

In his opening speech, he announced that the government had authorised expenditure so that CP - Comboios de Portugal could be certified to operate in Spain, as part of its internationalisation strategy.

Asked about the purchase of rolling stock for CP, Miguel Pinto Luz pointed out that he doesn't have CP's business plan, referring to the answers for when the company gives it to him and said that when it is finalised, it would be published.

"We need the trains. Building a high-speed line and then not having the trains doesn't make any sense," stressed the minister, who also stressed the importance of internationalisation operations in A Coruña.

"We have the studies and the demand projections from CP. We're aware of what we're doing," he assured, adding that the government's decisions are not made “without accounts”.

JO/ADB // ADB.

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