Infraestruturas de Portugal consigns the last section for the modernization of the Beira Alta Line
The Secretary of State for Infrastructures this Tuesday underlined the importance of consigning the contract for the last section of modernization of the Beira Alta Line, between Santa Comba Dão and Mangualde, for the transport of goods in Portugal.
After signing the contract with the Sacyr Somague / Sacyr Neopul consortium, which took place at the Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) headquarters in Almada, Jorge Delgado admitted to Lusa that this stage has great symbolism.
“The symbolism of this day means that today we really have this Beira Alta Line, the entire North international corridor, in the construction phase. There is no longer any doubt about what is on the ground. having managed to consign this section today, we maintain our expectation of achieving it “, he said.
With an investment of 57.6 million euros, this work is being carried out within the scope of the modernization program of the National Railway Network, Ferrovia2020, which will increase the capacity of rail transport.
“The importance of the work is enormous because, with this type of work, we are going to be able to streamline, in a particularly relevant way, the entire transport of goods in Portugal. It is these axes, the North and South corridors, which will make it possible to greatly expand the Ability to transport goods by transport,” he said.
The project that is now starting involves a complete requalification of the stretch of approximately 40 kilometers in length, between the railway stations of Santa Comba Dão and Mangualde, providing the railway with greater operational capacity and better safety and circulation conditions. benefiting not only freight transport but also passenger train travel on inter-regional connections.
“We will be able to have bigger, with 750 meters, and increase the capacity of the number of trains that can circulate on the Line and we will make them more interoperable. This is in addition to the environmental and electrification issue that, in the case of Beira Alta, already existed” , said Jorge Delgado.
The Secretary of State for Infrastructure, who is optimistic about the goals outlined until 2023, stressed the importance of incorporating European funds in the best possible way.
“It is fundamental from an economic point of view because it will create very special and much better conditions for the transport of goods by rail and because we will be able to meet the goals we have as a goal for 2023, not wasting European funds that are not so important. waste “he stated.
With the start of this contract, IP is currently carrying out integral requalification and modernization works worth around 300 million euros, in an extension of around 190 kilometers of the Beira Alta Line, 45 kilometers belonging to the section between Santa Comba Dão and Mangualde which was consigned today.