Portugal begins construction of Lisbon to Porto high speed rail line

Portugal started construction of a high-speed rail line connecting Lisbon and Porto on Monday, October 12, 2026. Euronews reported that initial work began on the first section between Porto-Campanha and Oia, located in the Aveiro district. Miguel Pinto Luz, the minister of infrastructure and housing, said high-speed rail lines and the new Lisbon airport represent the largest infrastructure projects Portugal will undertake this century. [1]

Once completed, the new rail connection will allow passengers to travel between Lisbon and Porto in 1 hour and 15 minutes, according to Euronews. The government noted that the high-speed rail project serves as a central element of the national airport strategy, designed to support the new airport in Lisbon. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, and both Lisbon and Porto were recent sites of widespread public demonstrations over living costs. High-speed services in Portugal have historically run mainly on conventional railways, operating under the Alfa Pendular brand at top speeds of 220 km/h, as previous plans for dedicated high-speed tracks faced multiple cancellations and revivals. [4][6]

The project marks a shift toward dedicated high-speed track infrastructure within Portugal, which will operate alongside existing transportation links. [1][4]