The Lisbon Metro had decided to close the Cidade Universitária station on October 30th, leaving more than 45 thousand Brazilian voters without transportation.
The works on the railway that the Lisbon Metro will carry out on a section of the Yellow Line for a week, forcing the interruption of circulation between Campo Grande and Entrecampos and the closure of the Cidade Universitária station, will be postponed two days. The reason is that the second round of the elections in Brazil will take place on the 30th precisely at Cidade Universitária.
As reported by Lisboa Para Pessoas on Fridaythe Lisbon Metro envisaged the interruption of the Yellow Line for one weekbut the week chosen impacted not only the Brazilian elections, but also the Web Summit and a week of classes. So, for the intervention not to affect at least the 2nd round of the Brazilian presidential elections, the calendar was changed: so, instead of the Yellow Line being interrupted from October 29th to November 5th, will be closed between Campo Grande and Entrecampos from October 31 (a Monday) to November 7 (the following Monday).
Lisbon has the largest Brazilian electoral college outside the countrywith 45,273 registered voters to vote at the Law School in University City - that is, the equivalent of two Altice Arenas. Nationwide, there are 80,896 Brazilian voters registered to vote in this, the second round of voting, which will determine Brazil's presidential future between Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro. Voting is mandatory in Brazil.
"In order to minimize the impacts caused by the temporary closure of Cidade Universitária station on the Yellow Line and, in particular, in view of the 2nd round of the elections in Brazil on October 30 that will have polling stations located at Cidade Universitária, Metropolitano de Lisboa considered it convenient to readjust the schedule for the closure of that station within the scope of the interventions on the railway track planned for that station"says the company in a press release.
Thus, Cidade Universitária station on the Yellow Line will be closed from October 31st to November 7th. The circulation on this Line, during this period, will be between Odivelas and Campo Grande, and between Rato and Entrecampos. The Cidade Universitária station and the normality of the Yellow Line will be restored at 6h30 AM on November 8th. According to Metro de Lisboa, will be carried out "intervention works on the railway track that imply, for safety reasons, the closure of the operation to the public in the section where the works will take place".
Alternatively, the company recommends the careers 701, 736, 717, 738 e 767 of Carris, "subject to bus capacity". Carris has not (yet?) announced any reinforcements.
