Lisbon, Oct. 15, 2025 (Lusa) - The Association of Companies in the São Caetano Industrial Zone, in Gaia, Porto, northern Portugal, on Wednesday denounced in parliament the "blackmail" that the AVAN Norte consortium is engaging in regarding changes to the Gaia station and route of the high-speed railway line in the district.
"The Livre MP [Jorge Pinto] mentioned here that there was a certain amount of blackmail. We agree. There ends up being natural blackmail because, as explained to us by the consortium, there is a lot of pressure on the schedule regarding European funds," said Francisco Bastos, executive president of chocolate maker Arcádia and spokesperson for the business association, in parliament today.
The manager was speaking at a hearing of the Infrastructure, Mobility and Housing Committee, saying that we are "in a position of “it's either this proposal or nothing” - words spoken by the consortium" at a meeting with the association, according to Francisco Bastos.
At issue is an alternative proposal for the high-speed railway line station, whose concession contract signed by the parties stipulates that it will be in Santo Ovídio, but which the signatory consortium AVAN Norte (Mota-Engil, Teixeira Duarte, Alves Ribeiro, Casais, Conduril and Gabriel Couto) wants to build outside the planned location - Vilar do Paraíso -, something which, according to the association, could alter the route and require expropriations not initially planned in the industrial zone of São Caetano.
In a presentation made today to MPs, the spokesperson also cited an opinion from Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP- Portugal's road and rail infrastructure network manager) on the installation of his company's factory, Arcádia, dated March 2024, stating that the route "will be implemented through a deep tunnel" and that it is not expected "that, in the next phase of the studies (preliminary design and implementation design), this may affect the aforementioned building".
The opinion stated that the construction of the Arcádia factory could not "compromise or interfere with the high-speed line, nor is it likely to make its construction more difficult or costly", and that it did not seem “plausible” that the route could "be shifted to the west and its gradient raised to the surface", as this "would lead to (...) a dramatic increase in the impact on heritage (housing, industrial spaces and transport routes), which does not seem credible and would go against the recommendations of the Environmental Impact Statement".
However, despite this safeguard, the association's spokesperson said that since July, the companies have been approached by Luso-Roux and RR Planning, mandated by the AVAN Norte consortium, saying that the route will be above ground.
Among the MPs, Carlos Barbosa (Chega) questioned how the consortium knows that "Civil Protection will not give the green light to the tunnel to Santo Ovídio, when, on the other hand, IP and APA [Portuguese Environment Agency] have yet to make their assessment".
On behalf of the Social Democrats (PSD), Francisco Lopes said that "it seems a little strange" for technicians to "ask questions or approach entities, people or companies because of a possible change that the authorities are unaware of, which has not been decided in any way".
Socialist (PS) MP Frederico Francisco argued that the Gaia station "makes sense, and makes sense in Santo Ovídio, because it is not just the Gaia station," but rather "the first station in the Porto Metropolitan Area," with connections to "two Porto Metro lines, the Yellow line and the Ruby line," serving "not only Gaia, but also the entire central and western areas of Porto."
On behalf of the Liberals (IL), Angélique da Teresa warned that "the tender may even be challenged by the other [builders] because, suddenly, they are faced with a change in the route that involved an associated cost and that, eventually, now, because of this route, some money will be saved", rejecting that "the TGV is a Lisbon airport" and that "we will be discussing whatever it is for 50 years".
On behalf of Livre, Jorge Pinto referred to the "blackmail that is being carried out on everyone", expressing concern that "in a couple of weeks or a couple of months, news will emerge that this is the only possible decision, that this is the only possible path, and then nothing will be feasible," calling the consortium's alternative proposal "a deoptimisation of what was initially proposed."
For the Communists (PCP), MP Alfredo Maia recalled that the Government responded to the PCP that "the awarded bid proposal provides for the location of the station in Santo Ovídio", but also that "the final location of the Gaia station and the characteristics of the new Douro River crossing will be proposed by the concessionaire, with IP being responsible for its approval", focusing the issue on the "fundamental problem" of the power "of public-private partnerships and concessionaires".
JE/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
