Comboios de Portugal (CP) has officially relaunched an international public tender to procure 12 new high-speed trains along with full life-cycle maintenance services. Valued at approximately €584 million (with a net contract value of €504 million), the project covers vehicle acquisition, spare parts, and workshop infrastructure, marking one of Portugal's largest rail procurement projects in recent years.
Delayed by a year due to domestic political circumstances in 2025, the tender was formally restarted on May 20. Operating under a pre-qualification regime with a submission deadline of July 2, Portugal aims to select the winning bidder by Q1 2027. To ensure operational reliability, strict technical barriers have been established: competing models must have proven commercial operation experience in Europe at 300 km/h, be fully registered with European authorities, and bidding consortia must demonstrate at least ten years of experience in major high-speed train maintenance.
The new trains will be designed specifically for Portugal’s 1,668 mm Iberian broad gauge but will feature wheelset exchange capability for compatibility with standard gauge, unlocking cross-border operational potential. Vehicle certification will utilize the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) One-Stop Shop (OSS) system. The delivery schedule is stringent: the first train is due within 48 months of contract signing, followed by monthly deliveries (excluding August). The plan targets Q1 2031 for the inaugural service entry and Q3 2032 for full fleet deployment, aligning perfectly with the completion of the Lisbon-Porto high-speed line upgrade.
This tender represents an integrated "train + service" package. Beyond supplying the rolling stock, the successful bidder must provide a €24 million spare parts package, digital maintenance records, intelligent diagnostic software, and train 50 local CP professionals—covering drivers, conductors, technicians, and software engineers—to build domestic technical capacity.
Two options for additional units are included: Option A for standard additional trainsets of the same type, and Option B for technically customized units (at a 3% price premium). The project reserves capacity for up to 8 extra trains. All new units must undergo commissioning and homologation within Portugal to receive local network authorization.
Once operational, these trains will slash travel time between Lisbon and Porto to 1 hour and 15 minutes. This upgrade will not only optimize passenger mobility but also accelerate regional economic integration and labor mobility, firmly supporting Portugal’s alignment with EU decarbonization goals in transport.
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