Porto to Lisbon in 75 Minutes Is Finally Under Construction

Portugal has started construction on its first true high-speed line. Work on the first phase began on Monday, October 12, covering 71 kilometres from Porto Campanhã to Oiã in the Aveiro district. Euronews says it includes a new road-and-rail bridge over the Douro, a new Vila Nova de Gaia–Santo Ovídio station and an expanded Porto Campanhã intermodal station.

The Porto to Oiã concession, signed on July 29, 2025 as a public-private partnership, is worth about €2 billion. Euronews reports it is backed by €875 million from the European Investment Bank and €480 million from the Connecting Europe Facility. The Portugal News adds that the section includes about 8 kilometres of tunnels and 19 kilometres of bridges and viaducts.

The payoff is a long way off. Once the whole line works, direct Porto to Lisbon trains should take about one hour and 15 minutes. The Portugal News reports the Porto to Oiã section is due in 2030, with later segments through Soure and Carregado in 2032 and the Lisbon end without a date. Euronews gives no completion date.

Beyond the two cities, the government projects a Lisbon to Madrid trip of about three hours by 2034. The Portugal News says the trains are designed for up to 300 km/h. Passengers will not feel any benefit when the first section opens, so for now the news is about the groundbreaking rather than faster journeys.

Sources: Euronews, The Portugal News