Lisbon Metro's Violet Line is late and will cost more

Government believes that it will still be able to complete the work within the RRP deadline (end of 2026). The future Violet Line will cost 140 million more than originally planned.

Lisbon Photography For People

A Future Violet Line of the Lisbon MetroThe project, which will consist of a light rail system connecting Loures and Odivelas, has been delayed. This was stated by the Minister of the Environment, Duarte Cordeiro, who is in charge of the project, at a press conference held on Friday to present the investments in the scope of the PRR. "We have to recognize that there is a delay of about a half-year."

The Violet Line project was considered of concern and "critical evaluation" by the National Commission for Monitoring the RRP - Recovery and Resilience Plan (commonly known as the European "bazooka"). This surface light rail system will take the Lisbon Metro to Loures and extend the existing underground network in Odivelas. The work was estimated to total approximately 250 million euros, and this is the amount that the European Union will give Portugal to carry out the investment, with the condition of finishing it within the deadline of the PRR - that is, until the end of 2026.

Despite the delay, Duarte Cordeiro believes that the Government is "in a position to launch in the first half of 2023 the procedure for the contracting of the contract and the rolling stock". That is, to launch the contest by June. If the DIA is favorable, we will comply within the deadline that has been set. However, what may eventually happen, in a logic of prudence, is the phasing of this project. But we believe that in the first semester of this year we will launch the construction work."

The future Violet Line (image courtesy of Metro de Lisboa)

The DIA is the Environmental Impact Statement, which must be released by the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) in relation to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) carried out. Only with a favorable environmental impact statement - which says that the work can go ahead and stipulates any conditions for this, so that the impact on the urban and environmental ecosystem is as small as possible - can this type of large contract go ahead: after the EIA, the public tender or tenders necessary for the execution of the project are launched, followed by the awarding of these tenders and the completion of the work, and then its inauguration and availability to the public.

140 million more

"We believe that if the EIS is approved, we are in a position to launch the procedure for contracting the construction and the rolling stock in the first half of 2023. And I would say that we will be able to finish by the second half of 2026, knowing that we are right on top of the RRP deadline", said the Minister of the Environment. There is, however, a problem: "The Line was initially established with a cost estimate of about 250 million euros. Right now, it has a cost estimate of about 390 million euros, plus 140 million euros."

This is due to two reasons that are easy to explain," said Duarte Cordeiro. "For one thing, because of the increase in material costs. There is no difference between this project and others where we are also seeing an increase in material costs. On the other hand, the initial project only foresaw a surface execution, and this project that went to public discussion foresees a set of underground stations, which makes the work more expensive."

With a total of 19 stations and about 13 km in lengthThe Violet Line will serve the municipality of Loures with 11 stations in the parishes of Loures, Santo António dos Cavaleiros and Frielas in an extension of about 7.4 km, and in the municipality of Odivelas eight stations will be implemented in the parishes of Póvoa de Sto. Adrião and Olival de Basto, Odivelas, Ramada and Caneças in a total extension of about 5.1 km.

Example of a profile with the implementation of the Violet Line on the surface (via Loures Municipality)

Most of the stations (14) will be above ground, but there will be three underground stations and two in "trench" (that is, semi-underground). Most of the route (66%) will also be above ground; only in the municipality of Odivelas will the Violet Line run mostly underground. The underground and "trench" components will be 28% and 3% of the total route. That leaves 3% of the line (about 400 meters), which corresponds to the viaduct parts - one viaduct is planned in Póvoa de Santo Adrião and another in Infantado.

Example of a profile with the underground implementation of the Violet Line (via Loures Municipality)

You can read more about the project here.

"The government will want the tender to run for the entire project, naturally seeking to safeguard funding that is not provided for in the RRP"said the Minister Duarte Cordeiro. In other words, 250 million euros are expected from the European Union, and António Costa's executive will have to find the other 140 million. "There will be options [on the table] and it will be up to the government to analyze and decide which ones are best." According to the Minister of the Environment, "One is to draw on your state budget. The alternative is to be able to resort to loans from the PRR. There is also a third alternative if we so wish which is to resort to lines from the European Investment Bank which may also be available for this purpose".

Other investments

Besides the Violet Line, the Lisbon Metro has two expansion projects underway:

  • a called the Circle Line - with two new stations, in Estrela and Santos - and should be completed by the end of this year 2023 for opening in early 2024. This project is currently under construction;
  • o Extension of the Red Line - with four new stations, in Amoreiras/Campolide, Campo de Ourique, Infante Santo and Alcântara - which saw its Environmental Impact Statement approved and the international public tender to be launched in the amount of 405.4 million euros. It is a project also funded by the RRP, so it will have to be ready by the end of 2026 at the risk of losing this European funding.

According to Duarte Cordeiro, all these projects "have had the need to re-evaluate their budgets. We have had 30% changes in the budgets of the lines that we have in place right now. This is due, in most cases, to the increase in material costs. What the Government is assuring us is that the projects will go forward and will have assured financing"..

In the expansion plan for the Lisbon Metro, there are still plans:

  • two new light rail linesThe Western LIOS, to connect Santa Apolónia to Loures (Sacavém), and the Eastern LIOS, to connect Lisbon and Oeiras - the project is being designed and still needs Environmental Impact Assessment funding;
  • o Extension of the Yellow Line between Telheiras and Benfica - At the moment it is only a draft plan, with no concrete details about the route or even financing yet.
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