Latest news and stories about metro expansion in daily life in Portugal for expats and residents.
The Lisbon Metro (Metropolitano de Lisboa) will suspend service on the Green Line between Rossio and Cais do Sodré from May 2 to May 5. The closure is required for construction work related to the new circular line project, with normal operations expected to resume on May 6.
Construction of the Porto Metro's new Rubi Line, designed to connect Casa da Música to Santo Ovídio, has faced significant delays. The completion deadline has been pushed back by over a year, with the project now expected to finish in July 2028. Previous forecasts had suggested the line would be operational by 2026 or 2027.
Metro do Porto has announced that the new Pink Line, linking São Bento and Casa da Música, will be operational by March 2027. Company president Emídio Gomes said this despite construction works being completed this year, indicating a multi-month gap between project completion and passenger service commencement. The announcement clarifies the timetable for a key expansion of Porto’s public transport network.
Cristina Vaz Tomé, CEO of Metropolitano de Lisboa, announced that the new CBTC signaling system, set to launch with the new circular line next year, will eventually enable driverless train operations. While the system is already being tested for safety, full automation requires further investment, political consensus, and infrastructure upgrades, such as platform screen doors. Tomé emphasized that staff will be retrained for new roles as the network evolves.
The system will become operational in the first quarter of next year.
Ongoing since 2021, the metro construction works are stifling dozens of businesses in downtown Porto. Traders are warning of imminent bankruptcies and are preparing to block traffic.
Porto Metro has relaunched the tender for the Rubi Line's signalling system for 24 million euros.
The new metro connection between Porto and Gaia has suffered a significant delay and is now only expected to be operational in the summer of 2028, according to an official schedule just released.
Stations in Gaia such as Manuel Leão, Vila d'Este, and Santo Ovídio show serious drainage and waterproofing failures. The extension opened in June 2024.
In several sections of the track, there is also a need to improve the drainage network, namely through the installation of boxes with cleaning grates.
The Circular Line was initially scheduled to open in the second half of 2025.
Breakdowns in escalators and elevators at the Lisbon Metro are a chronic problem. The company's new management points to maintenance failures that failed to hold suppliers accountable and has changed the model.
Acácio Pires, from Associação Zero, appeared on CNN Central to explain his association's position, which advocates for the Lisbon Metro to open earlier, at 05:30, due to rising fuel prices and to encourage the use of public transport.
Environmentalists state that the 6:30 AM opening time primarily disadvantages workers in healthcare, cleaning, logistics, and hospitality. They also point out that in most European cities, the metro begins service earlier.
Home News Calls for Lisbon Metro to operate earlier Calls for Lisbon Metro to operate earlier The environmental association Zero called for the Lisbon Metro to begin daily operations at 5:30 am, increase service, and improve transfers and stations, in light of the sharp rise in fuel prices.
After some suspense in recent weeks, the date was finally revealed: the Pink Line, which will link the existing Casa da Música and São Bento metro stations, will begin operating by March 2027, despite the project being completed in the final quarter of this year, the president of Metro do ... announced on Tuesday.
The restrictions are due to expansion works on the Lisbon Metro.
