The expansion of the red line of the Metropolitano de Lisboa to Alcântara will cost 25% more than the initially estimated value, in the feasibility study phase, which translates into an increase in the total cost of the investment from 101.4 million to 405.4 million of euros. The construction of the circular Metro line will also be more than 121 million euros more expensive. At the origin of these increases is the price update, which determined the increase in the costs of raw materials, materials and labour.

“The expansion of the Lisbon Metro Network – Red Line to Alcântara (TC-C15-i01), under the responsibility of Metropolitano de Lisboa, E.P.E., is part of the investments foreseen in the PRR, with a total investment value of (euro) 304,000,000,00. (...) It turns out that there were vicissitudes that determined an increase in the costs involved in the realization of the project that integrates this expansion plan, based on the change in the construction and public works market, which, combined with the times of the public procurement procedures in question, made the contractual amounts insufficient”, according to the Diário da República.

The resolution published this Thursday speaks of "difficulties in supply chains", "circumstances resulting from the Covid-19 disease pandemic", "global energy crisis" and "effects of the war in Ukraine". Factors that, at the same time, ended up determining the “abrupt increase in the prices of raw materials, materials and labour, with special emphasis on the construction sector, which has generated serious impacts on the economy”.

The reinforcement of funds will be done through the Recovery and Resilience Plan, whose reprogramming will begin to be discussed in Brussels in January.

The expansion of the red line of the Metropolitano de Lisboa to Alcântara, whose station will be “an important new transport interface”, articulating with suburban rail services, aims to contribute to improving mobility in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The construction of three new underground stations (Amoreiras, Campo de Ourique and Infante Santo) and one surface station (Alcântara) are planned.