Portugal Launches Tender for €690m Porto Light Rail Operating Contract

The Portuguese government has authorised Metro do Porto to launch a public tender for the city's next light rail operating and maintenance contract, valued at up to €690 million, Railway Gazette International reported on August 6, 2026.

The new eight-year concession will run from April 2027, replacing the contract held by Barraqueiro, which has operated the network since April 2010. The budget is roughly 59% higher than the outgoing contract, reflecting both cost inflation and a significant expansion of the network during the concession period. The contract will be almost entirely funded through Metro do Porto's own revenue, with only €17.5 million coming from national taxes.

That expansion includes Line G, linking Casa da Música to São Bento, due to open by the end of March 2027, and the 6.4 km Line H connecting Casa da Música to Santo Ovídio on Line D by the end of 2028, a project that includes a new bridge over the River Douro.

For light rail and tram operators, the tender is one of the larger European urban transit concessions to reach market this year, pairing an established network with committed near-term expansion.