Tender for high-speed trains for CP
posted on 20th Aug 2026 16:47
Not only Renfe, but also the neighboring Comboios de Portugal are planning to purchase new high-speed trains; the plan was approved by the government on 22 January 2026.
While the Spanish national operator launched a tender on 1 April 2026 for 30 units + 10 as an option with a maximum operating speed of 350 km/h, the Portuguese national operator announced a tender on 20 May 2026 for 12 units + 8 optional ones with a maximum operating speed of 300 km/h. They are primarily intended for the future Lisboa - Porto LAV. They will be delivered for the Iberian gauge of 1,668 mm, but they are to be structurally prepared for conversion to the 1,435 mm gauge by replacing the wheelsets.
The deadline for submitting bids was set for 2 July 2026. And just like in Spain, there are only two companies in the selection, but completely different ones. In early August, CP announced that Alstom and Talgo had passed the pre-qualification. Both now have 90 days to submit their final bids, and the plan is for the decision on awarding the contract to be made by the end of this year. The contract is expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2027.
The trains must offer at least 500 seats, the tender terms stipulate a seating configuration of 2 + 2 in economy class and 1 + 2 in first class, but do not include a restaurant, as there will only be vending machines on board. While Alstom could offer the double-deck Avelia Horizon or the single-deck Avelia Stream units, Talgo could offer the AVRIL units already in service with Renfe.
Deliveries of the 12-stron batch are scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2031 to the third quarter of 2032, based on the intention to start deliveries 48 months after the contract is signed, with the remaining units to follow at a rate of approximately one train per month. The estimated value of the contract is 504 million EUR and could increase to 850 million EUR if CP exercises the full option. The selected manufacturer will also be responsible for the supply of spare parts and maintenance of the trains during the first two years of operation (these costs are included in the amounts above). A minimum three-year warranty is required.
The new Linha de Alta Velocidade (LAV) Lisboa - Porto, 290 km long and with a gauge of 1,668 mm, will allow trains to operate at a speed of 300 km/h. This would shorten the journey between the two largest Portuguese cities from the current approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. In Lisboa, trains will start and end at the Oriente main station, while the LAV will have terminals in the cities of Aveiro, Coimbra and Leiria.
In 2025, construction of the first 71 km section between Campanhã station in Porto and Oiã began. This section will include crossing the Douro River in Porto and linking to the conventional network in northern Portugal. The contractor is the LusoLav consortium, made up of six construction companies.
Completion of the Porto (Campanhã) - Oiã section, Phase 1, is planned for 2030. Completion of the Oiã - Soure section, also from Phase 1, and the Soure - Carregado section, Phase 2, is planned for 2032. Construction of Phase 3 Carregado - Lisboa-Oriente will take place after the completion of Phase 2 sometime after 2032. The construction of the LAV will be financed from several sources: EIB loans, EU subsidies and private capital.
