Lisbon, Oct. 30, 2024 (Lusa) - The purchase of 36 additional carriages for the Lisbon Metro, in addition to the 72 already contracted, will go ahead and will be "a reality", the minister for the environment revealed on Wednesday.
At the end of 2023, the Lisbon Metro had already launched an international public tender for the purchase of a further 24 new triple units (72 carriages) with the option of a further 12 triple units (36 carriages).
Today, at the presentation of the new ML 24 series carriages of the Lisbon Metro, the minister for the environment and energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, confirmed that the additional units will "also be a reality".
Regarding the 72 new carriages, the contract for their construction was signed with the company Stadler Rail Valencia on 22 October and has already been sent to the Court of Auditors for prior approval.
The purchase of the triple units, to reinforce the existing fleet in the face of network expansion, is financed by the Sustainable 2030 Programme and the Environmental Fund and represents an investment of €134 million.
The purchase of the 72 carriages will be co-financed to the tune of €45 million by the Sustainable 2030 Programme, with the rest being financed by the Environmental Fund, and the term of the contract will be 54 months, after prior approval.
At the ceremony, the minister for the environment stressed the government's priority "on soft mobility in cities and on the railways", also recalling the ministry's "great commitment" to "decarbonising public transport".
Also present at the ceremony, the secretary of state for Mobility, Cristina Pinto Dias, recalled that in August the first triple unit of the ML20 series, which is part of a set of 14 triple units (42 carriages), arrived at the Lisbon metro workshops from Spain.
"These are the new units after 22 years and in 2025 the 42 new, more modern and more accessible carriages will come into circulation. Today we have signed the contract for a further 72 carriages. The government is clearly committed to public transport," emphasised Cristina Pinto Dias.
The public presentation of the 14 triple units (42 carriages) with a total investment of €114.5 million, coincided with the start of European Mobility Week and took place on 16 September.
In a statement released today after the ceremony, the minister for housing and infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, who was also scheduled to attend, reiterated that one of the government's aims is to get "people to use public transport, to the detriment of individual transport, in a policy of promoting intermodality, decarbonisation and reducing travel times".
The new ML 24 series carriages will have areas for wheelchairs, duly signposted, equipped with a backrest, seat belt and side support, intercom and warning button for contacting the driver.
According to Metro de Lisboa, the acquisition of the 24 triple units of the ML 24 series is due to the "expected increase in demand on the Metro network in the coming years due to the expansion of the network, the increase and adjustment of operating frequencies as a result of the installation of the new CBTC (Communications-based Train Control) regulation system".
In addition, according to the company, there is also "a need to properly manage the life cycles of the Lisbon Metro rolling stock fleet, ensuring scheduled replacement processes for end-of-life assets".
The new ML 24s will operate with a new automatic and continuous train control system, new video surveillance systems, driver's cabin air conditioning, passenger compartment ventilation, fire detection, space for larger luggage, digital customer information panels and improved gallery evacuation conditions, sensorisation and predictive maintenance.
The visual contrast between the doors and the structure of the carriages has also been reinforced which, combined with other visual and audible indicators, allows visually impaired customers to better locate the doors and gauge their opening and closing status.
RCP/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
