Portuguese national operator CP has prequalified Alstom and Talgo for a contract worth an estimated €504m to supply 12 high speed trainsets, with an award expected by the end of Q1 2027.

The two manufacturers were the only bidders. They will now submit detailed proposals to CP. The contract value includes spare parts and two years of maintenance provided by the manufacturer.

What does the contract cover?

The base order covers 12 trainsets. CP has structured the deal with an option for eight additional sets, which could lift the total value to €850m — a 69% increase over the base figure if exercised in full.

The technical specification sets demanding requirements for the Iberian market:

• 1 668 mm broad gauge
• Operating speed of 300 km/h
• More than 500 seats per trainset
• Facilities for passengers with reduced mobility
• Bicycle spaces, wi-fi, USB-C sockets and CCTV

The broad gauge requirement confirms the trains will serve the domestic Portuguese network, including the planned high speed corridor, rather than requiring gauge-changing capability for through running onto standard gauge networks.

Why does the 2031 delivery date matter?

CP expects the first trainset to arrive in Q1 2031, ahead of the opening of the first section of the Porto – Lisboa high speed line between Porto and Oiã. That timing ties the fleet entry into service directly to the infrastructure programme: trains must be delivered, tested and accepted before the initial section can carry passengers at high speed.

The delivery schedule leaves roughly four years between contract award in early 2027 and first arrival in 2031 — a compressed but not unusual timeline for a new 300 km/h broad gauge design if the winner adapts an existing platform rather than developing one from scratch.

Both Alstom and Talgo bring relevant credentials. Talgo supplies the 1 668 mm gauge high speed trains used by Renfe in Spain, while Alstom has broad gauge high speed experience through its presence in the Spanish market.

What did CP say?

Chairman Pedro Moreira framed the tender as a strategic move for the operator, speaking on September 22.

'This procurement is an important step towards CP's participation in the high speed market,' Moreira said.

The wording signals CP's intent to position itself as the operator of the new line, rather than ceding that role to a competitor or a separate concessionaire.

What happens next?

The two bidders must now prepare and submit their detailed proposals. CP will evaluate them over the coming months, with the contract award targeted for the end of the first quarter of 2027. First deliveries would then follow in Q1 2031, in step with the Porto – Oiã section's planned opening, and the option for eight more trainsets remains available as CP builds out capacity for the full Porto – Lisboa corridor.