Viana do Castelo will already have electric trains this year

Carlos Fernandes, Vice President of Infraestruturas of Portugal (IP), said today in Valença that the first electric trains are expected to reach Viana do Castelo and, until early 2020, 19659002] "There are only a few weeks left to complete the work of the section between Neuf (Braga) and Viana do Castelo, the first electric trains can be transported to Viana do Castelo later this year," he said. the presentation of the second phase of the contract to modernize the section between Viana do Castelo and Valença of the Minho line currently planned for an investment of 18.1 million.

At the end of the session, in statements to reporters, the Minister of Planning and Infrastructure, Pedro Marques, said that the "expectation" of the government is to have the modernization and l & rsquo; Electrification of the international railway line completed "in early 2020, with an investment of more than 80 million euros."

"It's our expectation," said Pedro Marques, reinforcing the importance of this work for "northwestern competitiveness of the peninsula, in order to reduce transportation time and cost. improve the quality of service provided, safety and efficiency. "

Say there are" mutual commitments "with the Spanish government, so that the modernization of the Minho line is completed in same time on both sides of the border, in reference to the missing five kilometers to the border, the electrification of the Spanish side.

The electrification and modernization of this international rail link are included in the Ferrovia 2020 infrastructure investment plan and represent "an investment of 83 million euros."

These works will allow Alfa Pendular to reach Valença, near the border with Spain and with the city of Tui, and there is no link on the Spanish side to Vigo, a former claim of the Atlantic Axis, an organization that brings together 38 Portuguese and Galician municipalities.

high-speed rail link between northern Galicia and Lisbon, which allows the high speed of the Spanish side, miss 30 kilometers The President of Eixo Atlântico, Alfredo García, and the Secretary General, Xoán Vázquez Mao, attended the meeting, which congratulated the Portuguese government for the situation in the Vigo region and the Portuguese border, properly electrified and modernized. to "echo the petitions of the entity and bet on improving rail communications to Galicia."

"Once the act finalized, during a brief meeting with the President of the Axis and the Secretary General, September to talk about the second infrastructure package 2021-2028", said in a communiqué the body which gathers 38 municipalities Portuguese and Galician.