The Portuguese transport infrastructure administrator, Infraestruturas de Portugal, has launched the modernization works on the Leixões line.
The project involves works on infrastructure, signaling, and telecommunications, supervision services, design, expropriations, and the purchase of track materials.
The modernization work has an investment of EUR 32 million and includes:
- reconfiguration of the set of entry and exit lines from the Leixões Terminal for 750 m trains;
- adaptation of the parking lines, which allow temporary parking and meeting of trains, at Contumil and São Mamede de Infesta stations, ensuring conditions for the operation of trains up to 750 meters in length;
- modernization of the catenary along the entire length of the Leixões line;
- reconfiguration of three existing telecommunications equipment rooms and construction of a new technical building in Leixões;
- installation of five new GSM-R telecommunications towers.
Work has also begun on improving the safety of local accesses and crossings on the Leixões line by eliminating four level crossings and two pedestrian crossings. The elimination of level crossings and the construction of overpasses will improve rail and road safety, enhance the mobility of the population, and increase the efficiency of logistics operations associated with the Port of Leixões. According to the IP, the modernization of the line will cost EUR61.2 million.
The Leixões line, essential for the country’s second largest port
The Port of Leixões is the second largest in Portugal and a key point for international trade. As part of the presentation of the Port of Leixões’ development strategy for 2035, IP and the port administration announced the award of the works contract, during which time the works were symbolically launched.
“The project is an essential investment for increasing the capacity and efficiency of the national rail network, contributing to strengthening the role of the Port of Leixões, the second largest in the country, as a strategic logistics hub for the competitiveness and export capacity of Portuguese companies,” said Miguel Cruz, president of Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP).
Once completed, the line will offer increased capacity and safety, ensuring not only easy access to and from the port, but also strengthening the logistics sector and shifting traffic to rail.
The Leixões line plays a strategic role for the port, being the main rail link between the port and the national rail network. Direct access to the rail network allows for efficient cargo handling, reducing dependence on road transport and helping to ease traffic congestion on the roads. This rail connectivity is essential for the port’s competitiveness, facilitating the export and import of high-volume goods such as containers and raw materials, and supporting the development of integrated logistics chains.
In addition, the integration of the port of Leixões into the rail network contributes to the sustainability of transport, reducing CO₂ emissions from road transport and increasing the efficiency of logistics operations in the long term.
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