Work begins on Portugal's first Porto–Oiã high-speed rail section
Construction has started on the 71-kilometre Porto-Campanhã–Oiã section, including a new Douro crossing, an expanded Campanhã station and a new station at Gaia-Santo Ovídio.
Archived after its publication day. Search retains this original briefing for background and accountability.
Archived 12 September 2026This is the start of a long construction programme, not the opening of a passenger service. Residents and travellers should rely on project notices for local works and on current operators for today's journeys.
- The first section is designed for speeds of up to 300 km/h and includes about 8 km of tunnels and 19 km of bridges and viaducts.
- The approximately €2 billion public-private partnership was signed in July 2025, with European financing announced.
- The future Porto–Lisbon journey of about 1 hour 15 minutes is a programme objective, not a current timetable.
The first construction section is now under way
The works cover Porto-Campanhã to Oiã rather than the full Porto–Lisbon route. The package includes the new road-and-rail Douro bridge, expansion at Campanhã and a new Gaia-Santo Ovídio station.
Large rail projects move through local work fronts, possessions and phased commissioning. An overall start does not mean every site becomes active at once or that today's rail services have changed.
Separate the long-term promise from today's journey
The Government presents a future Porto–Lisbon time of around 1 hour 15 minutes and a later international connection. Those benefits depend on later sections, systems, testing and opening decisions.
For noise, traffic or access near a work front, use Infraestruturas de Portugal's project notices and municipal information. For a journey now, continue to check the current rail operator's timetable and disruption channels.
What you can do now.
- 01
Check project notices for the exact work area near you.
- 02
Use current operator information for today's rail journey.
- 03
Do not treat the future journey time as an available service.
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