Lisbon City Council will urge the next Government to transform the circular metro line into a loop line

This Thursday, Lisbon City Council approved a motion from the PCP to urge the next Government, led by the PSD, to order the Lisbon Metro to “immediately reevaluate” the construction process of the circular line to operate “in a loop”.

In a public meeting of the municipal executive, the motion to transform the circular line of the Metropolitano de Lisboa into a loop line was approved among the 17 members of the chamber, with votes against by two of the three councilors of Cidadãos Por Lisboa (elected by the coalition PS/ Free).

There were five abstention votes, namely three from the PS, one from Livre and one from Cidadãos Por Lisboa, and 10 votes in favor of the proposal – seven from the PSD/CDS-PP leadership, two from the PCP and one from BE.

When presenting the motion, PCP councilor João Ferreira said that today there are conditions to “respond to the concerns of the general population, but also of political forces represented in the city council, in the municipal executive and also in the Assembly of the Republic, which is finally avoid what would be a huge mistake for the future of mobility in the city, which would be the implementation of the circular line project”.

“Unfortunately, the project is in such a state that it is not possible to return to point zero, it would be ideal, but resources have already been committed, investments have already been made, part of the work is done, but it is possible to transform this circular line into a loop line “, declared the communist, remembering that the possibility was admitted by the current Minister of the Environment, Duarte Cordeiro (PS).

In a declaration of vote to justify the abstention, PS councilor Cátia Rosas said that the Government requested a study on the operation of the Lisbon Metro, with “three options” under analysis, namely circular, loop and line, stating that if The work is expected to be completed by the end of the first semester.

“The next Government will then be in a position to choose the operation of the metro, and with the works it is possible to opt for any of these operations or even a mixed operation”, explained the PS councilor.

The motion approved by the chamber intends to urge the Government to order Metropolitano de Lisboa to “immediately reassess” the entire process relating to the construction of the circular line, “studying the technical and financial conditions that make it possible to definitively change the circular line, taking advantage of the work made, the change in signaling and the acquisition of new rolling stock, for the operation of a loop line”.

From the PCP’s perspective, the expansion of the Lisbon Metropolitan network must comply with two fundamental principles: promoting mobility within the city, using quality public transport, and contributing to reducing the use of private vehicles entering, every day, in the municipality.

“The current layout of the circular line, already under construction, does not fully respond to any of these principles”, considered the PCP, in the text of the motion.

In November 2021, one month after taking office as president of the Lisbon City Council, Carlos Moedas (PSD) defended the suspension of the Metropolitano circular line, as part of the approval of a PCP motion in this regard, and reiterated the proposal for a “loop” line.

At stake is the new circular line of the Metropolitano de Lisboa, which will connect the Rato station to Cais do Sodré, in an extension of another two kilometers of network, and which will create a circular ring in the city center, and interfaces that combine and integrate several modes of transport.

The operation of the circular line, as defined, foresees that passengers leaving the stations of Odivelas, Senhor Roubado, Ameixoeira, Lumiar, Quinta das Conchas and Telheiras will have to change at Campo Grande if they want to go to other areas of Lisbon.

With “loop” circulation, this transfer is no longer necessary and the train leaving the future Yellow line continues its journey along the new circular line.