Purchase tender for 117 trains by CP delayed, causing a EUR 191 million funding shortfall
The tender for the purchase of 117 motor coaches by CP, Portugal's national rail operator, has been delayed from December 2023 to August 2025. This delay, resulting from judicial challenges by competitors CAF and Stadler, has directly impacted the financial execution of the project, causing an estimated loss of 1.91 billion euros in support from the Sustainable Programme 2030.
Despite the tender delay, the delivery timeline for the motor coaches remains unaffected, with deliveries scheduled to commence in 2029. The project, valued at 819 million euros, is awarded to the consortium led by Alstom for the supply of 62 urban and 55 regional trains.
The exact dates when the suspensive effects of the first and second challenges were lifted, as well as the signing of the contract with the Alstom/DST consortium, are not specified in the provided information. The contracting party to whom the government will deliver the motor buses starting in 2029 is also not specified.
The project is funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and maintains the original funding sources: Environmental Fund, Sustainable Programme 2030, and State Budget. However, the exact nature of the new funding programs to cover the lost amount due to the tender delay is not specified.
Contingency mechanisms are necessary to ensure the viability of public investment in railway transport, due to the judicial delay. The lost amount will be covered by the State Budget or by new funding programs to be defined.
The project is contested in court by the competitors CAF and Stadler. The largest-ever purchase by CP is a significant step towards modernising its fleet and improving the quality of service for passengers.
Read also:
- The Cost of Speech is Zero, True Strength Lies in Unity
- Aiming to simplify the move towards cleaner automobiles, the newly established ministry plans to take direct action with Pannier-Runacher, Létard, and Vautrin at the helm.
- "The imperfect yet essential documentary, "Planet of the Humans," raises challenging and uncomfortable inquiries"
- Exciting Escapades of Tintin