Portuguese high-speed train: Mota-Engil to build first section of Porto-Lisbon high-speed line

Three proposals have been put forward. The dispute between Portuguese and Spanish construction companies could end up in court.

The Portuguese consortium led by Mota-Engel, which also includes Teixeira Duarte, Kasai, Gabriel Couto, Alves Ribeiro and Condoril, has saved the international public tender for the Porto-Oia section, launched by António Costa in January. Three proposals were submitted, but only the one from the Portuguese consortium complied with the rules of public procurement procedures.

On the final day of the deadline, Portuguese group ABB submitted a surprise offer, consisting of only two pages, which is unlikely to be enough to be accepted as a full competitor.

The third candidate is a Spanish consortium led by Sacyr, which submitted its proposal the day after the last deadline set by the jury, citing problems with access to the competition’s electronic platform. According to our sources, this competitor’s offer would be worth more than the base price of the tender. Given the delay, the price, or both, it is unlikely to be considered.

How we progressed in MayThe Portuguese consortium was the only one that took the risk of competing within the price criteria set by Infraestruturas de Portugal. The base price of the bid, which could not be exceeded by legal necessity, was challenged by all competitors. A Spanish consortium led by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) studied the specifications in detail and was the first to announce to the public company that it would not submit a proposal.

Bones and flesh of the train

The Porto-Oia section consists of 71 kilometres of double-track high-speed line, plus 17 kilometres of connections to the northern line in the Aveiro area. The costs of a high-speed rail project are significantly increased by strict standards that limit curves and especially slopes on platforms, which require a proliferation of tunnels and bridges.

The first section of the Porto-Lisbon line includes extension works to Campanha station; a crossing at the mouth of the Douro River, similar to the São João Bridge; and a huge underground station. Vila Nova de Gaia station is built 60 metres deep and will have platforms over 400 metres long, to allow trains to stop and passengers to arrive.

The private concessionaire will have to design, build and ensure the maintenance of the Porto-Oia line for 25 years, for a maximum price of €2.1 billion. “We do not understand this policy of cutting our nails in the structuring of projects for the country, which depend on community financing, and which risk being left abandoned,” Mota-Engel CEO Carlos Mota dos Santos protested in an interview with Jornal de Business.

Mota-Engel hopes to be rewarded for the risk taken in the next high-speed tenders, Oia-Suri and Sur-Carrigado. These two sections will have lower construction risks and more favorable prices for private parties. “Generally, the Spaniards wait to eat the meat, while the Portuguese gnaw the bones. I hope the Portuguese can keep the bones and the meat this time, and that it won’t be like the last few years,” says Mota-Santos.

If the tension between the competitors, in this or future competitions, ends with the filing of legal challenges, the deadline for the construction of the high-speed train will suffer serious slippages, given the notorious slowness of the administrative courts.