PORTUGAL: A prototype national train is being developed under the Producing Railway Rolling Stock in Portugal initiative.
Three inter-city coaches are to be manufactured by 2025, formed as a push-pull set including a first class car with driving cab and two standard class cars, one with a bistro. They will have a maximum speed of 200 to 220 km/h for use on national operator CP’s inter-city services.
The project is being undertaken by a consortium of 13 companies and institutions led by SERMEC Group. It includes the Portuguese Railway Platform, CP, the Institute of Science & Innovation in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering and the University of Porto.
The participants hope that a modular train tailor-made for the Portuguese market could reduce delivery times, with the use of mostly domestically produced materials and components contributing to the diversification of the economy, reducing imports and boosting the domestic supply industry by meeting both national and international demand for new trains.
The EU-backed National Resilience & Recovery Plan is providing €56m towards the €70m cost of the project.
