Lisbon, May 7, 2025 (Lusa) - The train strike, which according to the union has 100% participation, is pushing regular commuters onto buses and surprising tourists on Wednesday.
Trade unionist José Oliveira of the Federation of Transport and Communications Workers' Unions (FECTRANS) told Lusa in Lisbon today that train services have been suspended throughout the country due to the strike. No minimum services have been declared.
At Santa Apolónia station, only a few people, mostly tourists, are approaching the ticket offices, which are closed, the Lusa news agency reported.
At Cais do Sodré station, in central Lisbon, passenger traffic is heavier because it is a transport hub, serving the Cascais railway line, the metro network, the river terminal connecting the Portuguese capital to the south bank of the Tagus, and Carris buses.
People leaving boats from the south bank of the Tagus pass by the closed ticket offices, and due to the strike, access to the railway station is closed.
At this point in Lisbon, most users use buses and trams, with many public vehicles empty at stops waiting for passengers to board.
Traffic and taxis run regularly at the stops for buses 706, 714, 728, 732, 760, and 201 (which provide long-distance services) at Cais do Sodré.
In downtown Lisbon, at 9 a.m., car traffic flowed normally with no congestion.
One of the situations that most affects users at this point concerns the Cascais railway line, as there are no minimum services or alternative transport.
"The country might as well go on strike forever, every day," said Rui Sousa, who complains about the lack of minimum services on the railway line between Lisbon and Cascais.
"I don't know what I'm going to do, I have to get to Cascais," another user told Lusa in front of the closed ticket office at Cais do Sodré.
Due to a lack of information, some families of tourists bought tickets at the automatic ticket machines and waited in front of the doors to the railway station.
Aurélia Costa, another passenger who arrived at Cais do Sodré by metro and needed to take the train to get to work, said she understood the reasons for the strike but complained about the lack of minimum services.
"Everyone has the right to strike, but they should have scheduled minimum services," Aurélia Costa told Lusa, outside the Cais do Sodré station.
Also, at Santa Apolónia station, users leave the underground area directly for the bus stops.
The CP ticket offices are closed, and the stations are practically empty. Only a few tourists circulate without any information about the strike.
At Santa Apolónia station, José Oliveira told Lusa that FECTRANS reiterated the reasons for the strike and that the unions were always open to negotiating the situation with the government.
The workers want "the implementation of the agreement to restructure salary tables, under the terms negotiated and agreed", noting that although there is currently only a caretaker government, there is still room for negotiation.
PSP/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
