After the government authorized the necessary funds for the construction of the Violet Line surface metro a year ago, it turns out that it will face additional costs of 150 million euros, bringing the total budget to 677 million. And the inauguration date has also suffered as a result.
The Violet Line, which will connect the municipalities of Loures and Odivelas, and which would have been ready and operational in 2027, has been delayed by another two years, with completion and opening not expected until 2029.
The Violet Line
With a total investment of 527.3 million euros, which includes the design, the carriages and the construction of the new railway infrastructure between Loures and Odivelas, the new line will have a total of 17 stations, stretching for around 11.5 kilometers.
In the municipality of Loures, nine stations will be built, serving the parishes of Loures, Santo António dos Cavaleiros and Frielas, covering a total of 6.4 kilometers.
In Odivelas, eight stations will be built to serve the parishes of Póvoa de Santo Adrião and Olival de Basto, Odivelas, Ramada and Caneças, over a total length of 5.1 kilometers.
The stations will be of different types: 12 surface stations, three underground stations and two trench stations. These are the names of the 19 new stations that will connect Odivelas to Loures:
- Beatriz Ângelo Hospital
- Caldeira Plateau
- Bela Vista Towers
- Jardim da Radial
- Ramada Schools
- Ribeirada
- Castelinho Garden
- Odivelas Station
- Heroes of Chaimite
- El Rei Fountain
- Póvoa de Santo Adrião
- Flamenga
- Santo António dos Cavaleiros
- Quinta do Almirante
- Conventinho
- Loures
- Várzea de Loures
The project’s controversies
The government approved a financial reinforcement of 150 million euros, since the tenders were higher than the base price, increasing the total budget to 677 million euros and, consequently, delaying the inauguration by two years.
Now, in addition to the loans from the PRR – Recovery and Resilience Plan , the government will be seeking funds from the State Budget, which has led to a lot of criticism about how this whole process is being managed.