Lisbon Metro will get a circular line and more

The plans and funding were presented this week by the Portuguese Government

Work has already begun on the creation of a circular line on the Lisbon subway network, after the consignment of Lot 1 for this operation was signed on Wednesday, 14 April. This previews the construction of 2 new stations and reconversion of part of the green and yellow lines of the Metro in order to create a complete loop.

The circular line, when completed in the last quarter of 2024, will serve the central area of the Portuguese capital and eliminate existing bottlenecks and inconveniences that have long plagued metro operators and commuters. Furthermore, government officials stated that the overall project of the expansion includes the elongation of the red and yellow lines in order to better serve more outlying suburbs.

This grand-scale project will aid in the decarbonization goals of the city

The consignment was attended by Prime Minister Antonio Costa and the Minister of Environment, João Pedro Matos Fernandes, who also gave some details on the funding situation behind these grand infrastructural initiatives.

The circular line, which will involve the creation of a connection between the stations of Rato and Cais do Sodré, the building of two new stations (Estrela and Santos) and the addition of aqueducts at Campo Grande will require an investment of about 210 million euros. This money will come from a national Environmental Fund (127.2 million) and the European Cohesion Fund (83 million).

Prime Minister Antonio Costa emphasized the environmental significance of the new loop: “This circular line serves all other lines and allows an improvement in the performance of the Metro over its entire network. For this reason, this work is much more than just adding 2km and two new stations”.

In his opinion, this also represents a bold and assured step towards Lisbon’s ambitions to be a carbon-neutral city by 2050, given that it makes public transport more accessible and attractive for its citizens.

Additionally, more than half a billion euros (554 million) from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Plan have been set aside for the expansion of the two lines. The red one will be extended through Amoreiras, Campo de Ourique, Infanto Santo and Alcântara to connect to the train station there. The yellow line will go up from Odivelas to the suburb of Infantado. However, a timeline for the completion of these plans has not been yet delivered.