It is the last of the public tenders for the modernization of the Cascais Line until 2023. After the tenders for the renovation of the railway line and catenary, as well as the signaling and telecommunications systems, it's now time for the stations, worth 12 million euros, according to Público newspaper. In total, the modernization of the Cascais Line, under the responsibility of Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP), should cost 75.6 million euros.
In press releaseIP informs that the aim is to "improving platform access conditions, comfort, convenience and the quality of the service provided to the thousands of users who use the Cascais Line every day". Among the jobs planned are:
- the refurbishment of the sidewalks with the installation of colored and tactile strips on all platforms and pedestrian routes that allow all people, regardless of their mobility conditions, to use the Cascais Line;
- redesign of existing ramps and creation of new ramps for direct access to the inside of train carriages;
- replacement of signs at all stations and stops;
- improvement of existing shelters and roofs, relocation or construction of new ones;
- installation of elevators in some stations to create more comfortable and safer alternatives for people with reduced mobility;
- occasional refurbishment of buildings;
- refurbishment of platform and access lighting with LED technology;
- creation of a deterrent parking lot at Paço de Arcos station.
According to the Público newspaper, the next two years will be critical for the Cascais Line because several projects will coexist. One of the most important interventions is changing the voltage of the line from 1500 volts to 25,000 volts in alternating current, a value that is common in the rest of the rail network. The Cascais line is currently the only Portuguese line with a different voltage, which means that only certain trains can run on it.
CP will replace the 31 trains on the Cascais Line with new suburban vehicles that it will buy with the help of the famous "European bazooka". There will be a total of 61 new suburban trains, 55 regional trains and 12 long-distance trains, out of a total of 129, all electric. Público explains that, in a transitional phase, the new trains on the Cascais Line will have to be equipped with bi-voltage so that they can also operate at the current 1500 volts, so that neither the new carriages nor the old ones are pulled over during the changeover.
Público explains the change in the voltage of the Cascais Line, the first electrified line in the country, could save CP 1.5 million euros a year in electricity since "Alternating current costs less than direct current and because the new trains release electrical energy during braking, which is returned to the overhead contact line."
