“Where are the Algarve’s electric trains?” – Portugal Resident
Socialist Party (PS) MPs are demanding explanations from the government over the continued use of diesel trains on the Algarve railway line, despite the completion of electrification works and certification tests.
In a formal question submitted to Infrastructure and Housing Minister Miguel Pinto Luz, MPs Luís Graça and Vítor Guerreiro ask why electric trains have still not entered service on the line.
Both MPs say that previous PS governments secured funding and launched the electrification projects for the Algarve railway, describing the continued operation of diesel rolling stock as “incomprehensible”.
The works covered the sections between Vila Real de Santo António and Faro, and between Tunes and Lagos, representing a total investment of around €80 million.
According to the MPs, the electrification work has already undergone certification tests, including the first electric train journey between Faro and Vila Real de Santo António on June 24, 2025.
Graça and Guerreiro argue that the electrification project raised expectations across the Algarve, with residents anticipating faster, more comfortable and environmentally friendly rail services.
Thus the MPs are asking the government to clarify when electric trains are expected to begin operation on the Algarve line and what type of rolling stock will be used.
They also request access to documentation relating to the certification process for both electrified sections – Vila Real de Santo António–Faro and Tunes–Lagos – including the technical conclusions of the tests already carried out.
The electrification works began in Vila Real de Santo António on November 2, 2021, under the Socialist government led by António Costa. The project has always been hailed as a way of cutting emissions, reducing travel times and improving overall efficiency. As officials have explained, the new regional railway could shave up to 25 minutes off travel time between Lagos and Vila Real de Santo António.
