Latest news and stories about ferry service in infrastructure in Portugal for expats and residents.
Transtejo has launched a new boat connection linking Oeiras to Porto Brandão, Trafaria, and Belém, though the company faces ongoing uncertainty regarding the planned decommissioning of four aging vessels by year-end.
Transtejo has suspended vehicle transport for an indefinite period because of Depression Ingrid and adverse forecasts from the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Passenger services have been restricted to the Porto Brandão–Belém route and are operating to the timetables in force. The measure is expected to disrupt vehicle crossings and related travel plans; no date for resumption has been announced.
Home News River connection in Portugal to be expanded River connection in Portugal to be expanded Starting Thursday, the river connection between Trafaria (Almada) and Lisbon will be extended to Pedrouços/Algés (Oeiras), with service operating seven days a week, TTSL – Transtejo Soflusa announced
The Ministry of Infrastructure is analysing adjustments to the Atlantic Ferries concession, but admits that no decision has yet been made regarding a renegotiation or a public tender.
The president of Transtejo Soflusa criticises the Arbitral Tribunal's decision not to decree minimum services for the Tagus River connections. Rui Rei states that the company is managing to maintain operations.
The crew immediately adopted the necessary measures and a technical team from the company was dispatched to the island of São Jorge.
Vehicle transport on the river connection between Trafaria and Belém, in Lisbon, resumes on Monday following the completion of repairs to the ferry Lisbonense, which had been out of service for over a month, Transtejo Soflusa announced today. In a statement, the operator noted that the repair of the only ferry serving the Trafaria route took longer than expected. The Lisbonense broke down on 5 April, though passenger services continued. The company also stated that the Almadense ferry, which has been out of service for a year and a half, is currently undergoing repairs and is expected to be operational by the summer. Rui Rei, president of TTSL, attributed the temporary suspension to a lack of investment in fleet maintenance over recent years.
The only ferry operating the route had been broken down since Sunday. With the Almadense also out of service, Transtejo admits to a planning failure and aims to restore service before the public holiday.
Ordering ship repairs is an imperative for the current administration of Transtejo-Soflusa, a company led since October 13 by Rui Rei. When he arrived, there were vessels waiting for intervention, such as the second ferry for the connection between Belém, Trafaria, and Porto Brandão, and a shortage of crews trained to operate the electric boats in service since November.
The Barreiro–Lisbon river connection remains one of the main commuter axes of the Metropolitan Area, transporting between ten and 11 million passengers per year. It is Transtejo's most robust operation and the one that best reflects the importance of the Tagus as a structural corridor. In this conversation, the president of Transtejo, Rui Rei, highlights that this connection is vital for thousands of workers who enter Lisbon daily.
![The Barreiro [Transtejo ferry] connection is tremendous; we reinforce it every day and on weekends. When there is football, even more so](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.impresa.pt%2Fexpresso%2F2026-03-23-dsc07727.jpg-7ed23b74%2F1.91x1%2Fmw-1200%3FoutputFormat%3Djpeg&w=3840&q=75)
On Monday morning, at least two sailings were cancelled.
Ferry services between Cacilhas and Cais do Sodré have resumed, restoring the river connection between the two Lisbon riverfront points.
River services between Trafaria (Almada), Porto Brandão (Almada) and Belém (Lisbon) were cancelled today due to bad weather, with only passenger services between Porto Brandão and Belém remaining in operation, Transtejo Soflusa said.
The business association asked the Regional Government to provide the vessel Margarethe to “temporarily cover the absence of the Furnas and ensure the continuity of the island's weekly maritime connection”.
The sea service connecting the Madeira Islands and Porto Santo was cancelled on Saturday because of adverse weather conditions.
The Portuguese Parliament is reviewing a petition that aims to add the Setúbal-Troia ferry service to the Navigant travel pass, which would facilitate access for commuters.
