Alstom and Talgo, the only two applicants, have both cleared prequalification in the CP high-speed train tender for 12 trains with a €504 million base price.

Officials and guests seated at the CP high-speed train tender launch in Lisbon
Officials and guests at the launch of CP’s high-speed train procurement in Lisbon. Photo: Government of Portugal.

Comboios de Portugal (CP) said on 22 September that its selection panel had examined both applications and admitted Alstom, which applied through ALSTOM Ferroviária Portugal, S.A. and ALSTOM Ferroviaria S.p.A., as well as Patentes Talgo, S.L. The state-owned operator will now ask the two manufacturers to submit their bids for the rolling stock.

What the €504 million base price covers

The base price pays for 12 high-speed multiple units with their spare parts and special tools. It also covers full maintenance by the winning supplier for two years after CP receives the first train, and CP keeps an option to buy eight more units. The government’s announcement of the tender launch adds that the contract includes training for the staff who will later maintain the fleet.

The €504 million is not the whole budget. On 22 January, the Council of Ministers authorised CP to buy up to 20 units, the 12 plus the eight-unit option, within an investment of €584 million. That figure includes €45 million for workshops and equipment to keep the new trains running.

Each train must offer more than 500 seats, be adapted for passengers with reduced mobility and have room for bicycles. Wi-Fi, USB-C sockets and video surveillance are also required on board.

Deliveries planned around the Lisbon–Porto line

Bids now have to be submitted and evaluated before an award decision. Under CP’s timetable, the contract should be signed in the first quarter of 2027, with the first train handed over in the first quarter of 2031. The government has said the remaining units will then arrive at a rate of one a month, with the last delivered in the third quarter of 2032.

Infrastructure and Housing Minister Miguel Pinto Luz said Infraestruturas de Portugal would finish the Lisbon–Porto high-speed infrastructure in 2032. He added that the trains should reach Portugal by the time the line is ready, although the political crisis that forced elections in 2025 held back the purchase by a year before CP opened the tender in May. The government expects the new fleet to link the two cities in 1 hour 15 minutes, which it equates to about 300 km/h.

The fleet will run on the Iberian gauge. However, the trains must be ready for conversion to the European standard gauge, which would only require new wheelsets.

CP high-speed train procurement: steps from authorisation to last delivery, 2026–2032
Date Step Status
22 January 2026 Council of Ministers lets CP buy up to 20 units within €584 million, including €45 million for workshops and equipment Done
20 May 2026 CP opens the tender with a €504 million base price Done
2 July 2026 Filing deadline set at the launch, with a qualification decision due 44 days later Set in May
22 September 2026 Both applicants, Alstom and Talgo, admitted to the bidding stage Done
Next Bids submitted and evaluated, then the award decision Pending
Q1 2027 Contract signature Planned
Q1 2031 First train handed over Planned
Q3 2032 Deliveries completed under the government’s launch schedule, which adds one train a month after the first Planned

Four years separate the planned contract signature from the first delivery. The government’s schedule gives the third quarter of 2032 as the end of deliveries but does not say whether that date covers only the 12 firm units or also the eight optional ones. Sources: Government of Portugal (January), Government of Portugal (May), CP.

Part of a wider CP fleet renewal

CP describes its current rolling-stock programme as the largest investment in its history. Besides the high-speed units, it has a contract with Alstom for 153 urban and regional trains, with deliveries due to begin in 2029. Meanwhile, 22 regional units ordered from Stadler have started arriving in Portugal and are going through type approval and certification.

CP chairman Pedro Moreira said the tender brings the company closer to operating high-speed services. He also linked the renewal of the fleet to a strong increase in demand for rail travel.

CP and Renfe high-speed train tenders in 2026: main terms as published by each procurer
Term CP (Portugal) Renfe (Spain)
Tender start Opened on 20 May 2026 Board approval on 25 March 2026
Firm units 12 30
Optional units 8 10
Stated value €504 million base price for the 12 units, spare parts, special tools and two years of maintenance €1,362 million for the 30 units, €1,777 million if the option is taken up
Speed About 300 km/h 350 km/h once the infrastructure allows it
Gauge Iberian, convertible to standard gauge with new wheelsets Standard, 1,435 mm
Seats per train More than 500 At least 450, in two classes
Delivery terms First train in Q1 2031, then one a month, with deliveries completed in Q3 2032 under the government’s schedule Five units within 40 months, the whole fleet within 78 months, one train every month and a half

Renfe’s tender covers more than twice as many trains, built for a higher speed and the standard gauge, while CP asks for more seats per train. The two values cover different scopes, so they should not be divided into a price per train. Sources: CP, Government of Portugal, Spain’s Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.