Local authorities joining forces for railway projects
In a recent development, the mayors of Cascais, Oeiras, and Lisbon have proposed a joint management of the Cascais line, a suburban railway connecting Lisbon with Cascais that passes through Oeiras.
The proposal, initiated by Isaltino Morais, the mayor of Oeiras, challenges Carlos Moedas, the mayor of Lisbon, to focus more on the Lisbon Metropolitan Area rather than just the people of Lisbon. In response, Moedas questioned whether the Lisbon Metropolitan Area should be led by the mayor of Lisbon.
The current president of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML), Basilio Horta, considers the railway as suburban when it should be metropolitan. This perspective seems to align with the mayors' view, who are advocating for a shift towards a more integrated and metropolitan approach to managing the Cascais line.
The event "Greater Lisbon Summit", organized by SIC Notícias, was a platform for discussing housing, security, and transportation, and it was attended by five mayors (Almada, Lisbon, Loures, Oeiras, and Sintra) and the vice-president of the Cascais municipality. Nuno Piteira Lopes, vice-mayor of Cascais, was also present and advocated for a discussion on the management of the railway.
Isaltino Morais has confirmed the willingness of Oeiras to manage the line, particularly in a partnership between the three municipalities. The redevelopment of the Cascais line is nearing completion, and the concession to private parties for the management of the line is planned.
It's worth noting that the Government Program includes a possibility of granting concessions or sub-concessions for the management of railway infrastructure. However, the specifics of the concession and its management for the Cascais line are not currently clear, as there are no relevant documents directly discussing this matter.
In general, railway line concessions in the Lisbon region typically involve coordination between the national railway operator (such as Comboios de Portugal), local municipalities (Cascais, Oeiras, Lisbon), and the Lisbon Metropolitan Area authority (AML) to ensure service integration, investment, and planning.
As the proposal gains traction, it will be interesting to see how the mayors of Cascais, Oeiras, and Lisbon work together to manage the Cascais line and foster a more integrated and metropolitan approach to transportation in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
- The redevelopment of the Cascais line, a suburban railway connecting Lisbon with Cascais, presents an opportunity for finance, as the concession to private parties for its management is planned.
- In the realm of politics, the mayors of Cascais, Oeiras, and Lisbon are leadting a shift towards a more integrated and metropolitan approach to managing transportation in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, challenging the status quo of the industry and the current management of the Cascais line.
