The modernization and duplication of the Alentejo Line, on the section between Poceirão and Bombel, may represent a new stage in the development of Vendas Novas, strengthening rail connections, population mobility and the logistical capacity of the territory. The information was shared by Ricardo Videira, mayor of Vendas Novas, in an interview with Rádio Campanário, where the mayor highlighted the strategic dimension of the railway investment planned for the region.
With an estimated investment of 270 million euros and completion expected by 2030, the intervention focuses on approximately 35 kilometers of railway infrastructure, covering the municipalities of Vendas Novas, Montijo and Palmela. The project includes approximately 25 kilometers between Poceirão and Bombel and another 10 kilometers corresponding to the Poceirão Connection. The intervention aims to overcome existing limitations in infrastructure capacity, allowing speeds up to 200 kilometers per hour for conventional trains and up to 220 kilometers per hour for tilting trains.
The projections point to a growth of approximately 20% in the number of passengers by 2030, while rail freight transport is expected to reach 9,204 trains per year. Ricardo Videira believes that a more efficient railway network may contribute to the economic competitiveness of Vendas Novas, to population retention and to the attractiveness of local companies.
The Vendas Novas City Council intends to ensure that the municipality maximizes the benefits created by the modernization, already working with Infraestruturas de Portugal to improve the conditions of the local railway station. Among the medium-term plans is the creation of a road-rail platform, a project that may gain greater relevance with the future installation of an airport in the vicinity. For the mayor, Vendas Novas will continue to be marked by the railway, as it has been since the train arrived in the territory in 1861.
