Portugal’s environmental regulator has cleared construction of the first section of a new high-speed rail line between Porto’s Campanhã station and Oiã, paving the way for work to begin as soon as this month.
The Portuguese Environment Agency found the project compliant with its earlier environmental impact declaration, approving sub-sections 4 and 5 of the Porto–Oiã route subject to conditions. The decision retains a single road-rail bridge over the Douro River — redesigned from an arch to a portal structure — and keeps Gaia’s station underground at Santo Ovídio, rejecting an alternative proposal the consortium submitted earlier.
Infraestruturas de Portugal and the LusoLav consortium signed the concession contract on 29 July 2025. The full line is scheduled to link Porto and Lisbon in 75 minutes by 2032.