PORTUGAL: National operator CP expects to award a contract before the end of the year for the supply of 117 suburban and regional electric multiple-units which will include a requirement for construction of a local production facility.
With a total value of around €819m, the procurement will be one of the largest in Portuguese history. CP has already shortlisted six bidders: Stadler; Alstom with local construction group DST; CAF; a Siemens-Talgo joint venture; CRRC Tangshan and Hitachi Rail.
The framework contract covers 62 EMUs to be deployed on suburban services around Porto and Lisboa and 55 for regional traffic. The regional trains will be designed to run at a maximum speed of 160 km/h and the suburban units at 140 km/h. The first trains are expected to be delivered to CP by mid-2026.
All the trains will be equipped with GSM-R and ETCS onboard equipment, as well as with CP’s in-house NextStop passenger information system.
A dedicated sub-fleet of 34 suburban sets will be deployed on the isolated Cascais Line running west from Lisboa. Of these, 25 are to be dual-system to support the transition of the line’s electrification from 1·5 kV DC to 25 kV 50 Hz.
The winning manufacturer will be expected to develop an assembly facility near the recently reopened CP workshops at Guifões north of Porto. As well as requirements for maintenance and spares provision, the contract will include an option to supply another 36 EMUs; however, CP insiders have indicated that this would not be exercised until at least 2028.
