Portugal, which has seen years of discussion but little action on building high-speed rail networks may soon find itself pre-empted as Spain’s Renfe rail system eyes possible high-speed connections into its neighbor.
The Spanish operator has filed papers with the Portuguese authorities to permit its operations under a “Single Security Certificate,” and expects approval within weeks. It’s already contracted with for Portuguese language training for staff. Renfe says its deadline to start operations is January 1, 2024, assuming all goes well.
Renfe’s initial plan is to operate service between Lisbon and Galicia, the Spanish province immediately north of Portugal. There’s already a jointly-operated service with Portugal’s CP, starting at Porto, but passengers have to wait at Vigo, near the border, while crews and engines are changed. Renfe wants to operate a through service with its own equipment, starting at Lisbon and passing through Porto.
Lisbon-to-Porto is already Portugal’s highest-speed line, but it isn’t up to the standard for high-speed, which is 220km/h. A plan to build a true high-speed line on that route has been stalled for years, as has a plan to build a high-speed line to the Spanish border for a connection to Madrid from Lisbon, another route Renfe says it wants to run.
All of Portugal’s railroads are built to ‘Iberian gauge’ of 1.668m, compared to the European standard of 1,435m, which is also the gauge used by all of Renfe’s high-speed lines. Renfe has trains for which that is no problem; its Talgo trains have an independent wheel system that allows it to run on either.
Portugal has lagged way behind its neighbors in building high-speed lines; France now has 2800km of high-speed rail, and Spain, which already has 3100km, will add another 900km this year.
