{"id":291127,"date":"2025-09-25T19:34:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T09:34:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=66196"},"modified":"2025-09-25T19:34:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T09:34:17","slug":"portugal-reopens-important-freight-railway-to-spain-after-3-5-years-of-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=291127","title":{"rendered":"Portugal reopens important freight railway to Spain after 3.5 years of work"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Beira Alta railway in Portugal is reopening on 28 September, says the country\u2019s infrastructure manager IP. It is an important line for freight traffic, running from the Coimbra area to the Spanish border.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>The reopening \u201crestores an important border link for transporting goods\u201d, says the Portuguese infrastructure ministry. An important added feature of the modernised railway is a 3.2-kilometre connection between the Beira Alta and the Linha do Norte, which directly connects the north and the interior of the country. That benefits freight by improving connectivity to the ports of Aveiro and Leix\u00f5es and the rail networks of Spain and the rest of Europe.<\/p>\n

Renewal on the railway covered some 190 kilometres, and eliminated all level crossings. The total investment amounted to 677 million euros over five years.<\/p>\n

“This was a long-awaited day for the Portuguese people\u201d, commented infrastructure minister Miguel Pinto Luz. \u201cThis government’s commitment is clear: investing in railways is investing in Portugal’s future. Because of their structural nature, their importance for economic growth, territorial and social cohesion, and their decisive role in the decarbonisation of mobility, railway investment cannot stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Did it improve anything?<\/h2>\n

Portuguese media have voiced more critical views of the project. Despite over three years of work, the modernised line offers little improvement for passenger travel times. Services won\u2019t be more frequent either. Rather, the investment focused heavily on the freight business. Still, it seems doubtful that the new line will improve much in the freight sector either.<\/p>\n

For example, the maximum speed was reduced every so slightly in order to accommodate 750-metre trains. That should have boosted competitiveness, but according to news outlet 24Noticias, operators are still required to use two locomotives, making rail not worthwhile. What\u2019s more, the line will be unable to accommodate rail highway services.<\/p>\n