Vila Real, Portugal, Sept. 16, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal's minister for infrastructure and housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, said on Tuesday that infrastructure maintenance is a concern, emphasising a focus on prevention to avoid accidents.
Miguel Pinto Luz took part in a ceremony today at Peso da Régua Station to mark the start of the electrification works on the Douro Railway Line, between Marco de Canaveses and Régua.
During his speech, he said that the current government would not give up on having a "short-term policy of careful maintenance of the country's critical infrastructures", pointing to a maintenance operation and the "replacement of obsolescence that has been glaring throughout the national network".
He also spoke of recent dramatic situations in the mobility sector, later realising, in statements to journalists, that he was referring to the accident with the Glória funicular and accidents at level crossings.
"We really have to worry about infrastructure maintenance. That's what I meant, we can't just remember when we have accidents. We have to worry before accidents happen to prevent them," he emphasised.
He emphasised the "remarkable effort" that Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) is making, eliminating or automating hundreds of level crossings across the country.
"We cannot continue in the 21st century to have our infrastructure obsolete, incapable of ensuring safety to everyone," he said during his speech.
On Saturday, four people died across the country in incidents involving trains, particularly two Canadian holidaymakers who were in the Douro.
The Glória funicular, managed by Carris (under the management of the Lisbon municipality), derailed on 3 September in an accident that left 16 dead and around two dozen injured, including Portuguese and foreigners of various nationalities, and which is being investigated.
According to an order published on Monday in the Diário da República, the government authorised the reinforcement of the staff of the Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Accidents involving Aircraft and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF) so that it now has three investigators specialised in the railway area.
Miguel Pinto Luz told journalists on Tuesday that the "reinforcement was already planned", had already been requested, was in the final stages and that now this reinforcement has taken place, namely with one of the staff coming from CP.
"But by the way, let me also say very clearly, because at a certain point in this process I realised that there were few resources. Because the GPIAAF, in absolutely record time, presented a report that the country has been discussing in an absolutely transparent way, without hiding anything from anyone," he emphasised.
He added that, in 45 days, he proposed "producing a preliminary report and then a final report in a year".
"So it seems clear to me that the office is up and running, and now with increased resources," he said.
PLI/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
