Lisbon Metro postpones network opening at 5:30 a.m. and there is no new scheduled date

O Metropolitan of Lisbon suspended the opening of the network at 5:30, a measure that should be tested in october, confirmed official source of the carrier to News to Minutes. The decision concerns the concentration of efforts on the Circular line and there is no new date to test early opening. 

“ We inform you that the start of the project to anticipate the opening of the network for 05:30, initially scheduled for October, has been suspended and a new date for its implementation has not been set at this stage“, the same source came forward. 

This decision, he explained, “is due to the need to concentrate technical and operational resources on the completion of the Circular Line, the entry into operation of which is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027“.

“ Following a technical and operational evaluation, it was concluded that it was necessary to ensure a greater availability of the night period for maintenance work and testing of equipment essential to the completion of this project, avoiding operational changes that could compromise the planned schedule,” added the same source.

However, it ensures that this decision “does not represent the abandonment of the project, which will continue to be the subject of study and the procedures necessary to obtain the respective authorizations“. 

Still, “cannot yet indicate a new start date, the duration of the experimental period or its scope, keeping as a priority the completion of the Circular line and the fulfilment of the commitment made regarding its entry into operation”.

In June, remember, the Lisbon Metro announced that it would launch a pilot project this month that anticipated the anticipation at one hour of opening hours (5.30 a.m.), to adapt the offer to “new needs”, announced at the time the chairman of the board of directors.

The announcement was made by Cristina Vaz Tomé during a conference on public transport, held at the Cais do Sodré river terminal.

“We cannot keep schedules of the past. We need to respond to the present one,” stressed the chairman of the Lisbon Metropolitan Board of Directors, ensuring that there was alignment with the government.

Cristina Vaz Tomé explained that the pilot project to anticipate in one hour the start of operation of the metropolitan service, which is currently at 6:30 am, would start in October, which is now known to be no effect.

“ These tests will allow you to fine-tune this modality to start in January 2027,” he added, noting that there is yet a defined model, namely whether this change will include weekends.

The Lisbon Metropolitan operates daily with four lines: Yellow (Rato-Odivelas), Green (Calheiras do Sodré), Blue (Reboleira-Santa Apolónia) and Red (Aeroporto-São Sebastião).