The Alentejo Railway Users’ Committee has criticised railway operators for difficulties booking seats, “constant delays”, and poor conditions on the trains operating between Beja and Casa Branca, in the municipality of Montemor-o-Novo. These services connect Beja with the wider rail network towards Lisbon and the Algarve
In a statement, the Committee for the Defence of the Alentejo Railway Line said one of the main problems affecting services was the “limited number of trains” available, particularly in light of “increased demand” since the introduction of the Green Pass.
For reference, the Comboios de Portugal Green Rail Pass costs €20 per month, and allows passengers to travel on Regional, InterRegional and Urban trains (in Coimbra, Lisbon and Porto, outside the local fare zones), as well as in second class on Intercidades services.
This has resulted in “difficulties with the mandatory seat reservation system”, with seats “frequently selling out within minutes”, the group said.
The committee also highlighted “constant delays”, most of them lasting between 45 minutes and an hour and a half, affecting trains running on the line.
Other concerns raised included the replacement of Intercidades services with “slower and less comfortable regional rolling stock”, as well as the poor condition of the trains operating between Beja and Casa Branca, in the Évora district.
According to the users’ committee, these trains are operating “with broken air conditioning, even during periods when temperatures exceed 40°C”, raising concerns over “passenger comfort, safety and health”.
While welcoming confirmation of investment in the electrification of the Alentejo Railway Line, the users’ group said the “long timeframe” envisaged for the project, currently scheduled to take place between 2027 and 2033, together with the “history of repeated delays and broken promises in railway projects”, had raised “reservations” about the future.
“After 16 years of campaigning, users expect the announcements now being made to finally translate into concrete works and a genuine improvement in rail services, without further delays or any loss of rights for those who depend on the train every day,” the committee warned.
In an effort to draw attention to the situation, the users’ committee met this week with the mayors of Beja and Alvito, in the Beja district, Nuno Palma Ferro and José Manuel Efigénio respectively, as well as the mayor of Vendas Novas, in the Évora district, Ricardo Videira.
The group has also requested meetings with the mayors of Cuba, in the Beja district, and Évora, as well as with CP – Comboios de Portugal, and the Alentejo Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Alentejo).
According to the users’ committee, improving services on the Alentejo Railway Line is a demand made “in defence of people’s quality of life, territorial cohesion and the development of the Alentejo”.
In March, the committee launched a petition calling on the Government to provide an Alentejo railway line of “quality” that “serves the interests of the region and those who live and work there”.
The petition calls for the modernisation of railway carriages, more daily train services and the electrification of the line.
It has so far attracted the signatures of “more than 6,000 citizens”.
Source: LUSA
Photo credit: Público
