If before there were 83 connections per direction, between Almada (Cacilhas) and Lisbon (Cais do Sodré), there are now only 64. The reduction should last until June 22.
At 6pm, for example, there were seven boats from Lisbon to Almada. As of this week, there are only four. TTSL (Transtejo Soflusa) has reduced the number of river connections between Cais do Sodré and Cacilhas on weekdays by 23%, citing "operational constraints". The new timetables will remain in place until June 22.
If before there were 83 connections per direction, there are now only 64. A comparison between the old timetables and the new (which will be temporary) allows you to visualize this reduction:
For example, in the most critical period of the morning, between 5 am and 10 am, there will be 22 boats between Almada and Lisbon when before there were 30. A reduction of 27% which may make a difference in the lives of many passengers, who, besides now having fewer schedule options, may now have more crowded boats. It should be noted, however, that in practice some of the scheduled timetables were already not taking place, being constantly suppressed, as Lisboa Para Pessoas heard from some passengers.
The new schedules will show that the existing problems at TTSL are more permanent and less temporary - at least for a month. It is known that the river operator has had significant difficulties in fleet and employee levelsThis has made it impossible for the company to guarantee regular service between the two banks of the Tagus.
Between January and October 2022, for example, 3250 careers in Transtejo will have been suppressed due to inoperable ships and around 1750 careers due to the lack of workers, according to data from the PCP. In February, during a parliamentary hearing, an official from the Fluvial, Coastal and Merchant Marine Transport Union (STFCMM) said that "in 2018, the Transtejo Softlusa fleet together totaled 26 ships, 19 pontoons and nine passenger access terminals. Currently, there are only 14 operational ships and 12 certified pontoons (many are no longer certified). 50% of the fleet has been reduced, either by aging or unrecoverable breakdowns. The remaining ships serve as parts for those in operation".
These constraints are visible on the TTSL websitewhere messages like this are repeated: "due to technical constraints in the fleet, it is not possible to guarantee the performance of all the routes". And they are felt in the daily lives of many, many passengers: the connection between Cacilhas and Cais do Sodré alone will carry 6.7 million passengers per year, according to 2018 data, from Transtejo's last published Annual Report.
Back to the day-to-day. Until next June 22nd, the new schedules between Lisbon (Cais do Sodré) and Almada (Cacilhas) are, on weekdays, as follows:
| Schedule | Cacilhas > Cais do Sodré | Cais do Sodré > Cacilhas |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | 5h20, 5h48, 6h00, 6h15, 6h30, 6h45, 7h00, 7h15, 7h30, 7h45, 8h03, 8h15, 8h30, 8h45, 9h00, 9h15, 9h30, 9h45, 10h00, 10h15, 10h30, 10h45, 11h00, 11h30, 11h45, 12h15, 12h30, 12h45 | 5h35, 5h48, 6h00, 6h15, 6h30, 6h45, 7h00, 7h15, 7h30, 7h45, 8h00, 8h15, 8h30, 8h45, 9h00, 9h15, 9h30, 9h45, 10h00, 10h15, 10h30, 10h45, 11h00, 11h15, 11h45, 12h00, 12h30, 12h45 |
| Afternoon | 13h00, 13h20, 13h40, 14h00, 14h20, 14h40, 15h00, 15h15, 15h30, 15h45, 16h03, 16h15, 16h30, 16h45, 17h00, 17h15, 17h30, 17h45, 18h00, 18h15, 18h30, 18h45, 19h00, 19h30, 19h45, 20h15, 20h30 | 13h00, 13h20, 13h40, 14h00, 14h20, 14h40, 15h00, 15h15, 15h30, 15h45, 16h00, 16h15, 16h30, 16h45, 17h00, 17h15, 17h30, 17h45, 18h00, 18h15, 18h30, 18h45, 19h00, 19h30, 19h45, 20h15, 20h30, 20h45 |
| Night | 9:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:00 pm, 11:30 pm, 0:05, 0:40, 1:20 | 9:15pm, 9:45pm, 10:15pm, 10:45pm, 11:00pm, 11:45pm, 0:20am, 1:00pm, 1:40am |
The changes do not affect the weekend days and holidays, whose schedules remain the same and whose offer is now similar to that of weekdays.
Note that even though, according to the Carris Metropolitana websiteno changes were made to the lines serving Cacilhas to match the bus departures to the new temporary arrival times of the boats at the river terminal. Still, Carris Metropolitana, as well as MTS and Fertagus may be alternatives to river transport to get from Almada to Lisbon (or vice versa).
Transtejo is responsible for connecting Seixal, Montijo, Cacilhas and Trafaria/Porto Brandão, on the south bank, to Lisbon, while Soflusa makes the crossing between Barreiro, also on the south bank, and Terreiro do Paço, in Lisbon. The two companies - Transtejo and Soflusa - have a common management and operate under a common brand, TTSL. On April 11, a new administration was announced, now chaired by Alexandra Carvalho, who replaced Marina Ferreira in the position, after the battery polemic.
