Portugal suffered seriously from the 2008 economic crisis. During the past decade, the national passenger rail company Comboios de Portugal (CP), was forced to be very creative to maintain its capacity using its existing fleet of rolling stock. Now, with the help of the EU recovery fund, it plans to acquire up to 129 new trains for various purposes. An overview:
We thank Jaime Llamazares Camblor for his expertise on Portuguese railways.
The increased ridership and lack of rolling stock have pushed CP to put old equipment to use, dating back to as far as the 1940s. Fans of classic trains and locomotives must be delighted with the comeback of various Class 2600 electrics, four Class 1400 diesels, six EMU for suburban services at Lisboa area and 19 refurbished coaches for the scenic Douro line.
Another fast solution comes from Spain: the purchase of 51 second-hand passenger coaches from Renfe to improve regional services on the Minho line wich will be electrified starting in early 2021.
Three types of trains
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