Metro do Porto launches international public tender for new subconcession worth up to €690 million over eight years

International public tender for the Metro do Porto subconcession

The international public tender due to be launched for the new subconcession covering the operation and maintenance of the Metro do Porto system will have a maximum value of €690 million, with a contract term of eight years.

These figures appear in the Council of Ministers’ statement announcing approval of the resolution that authorises Metro do Porto to take on the multiannual commitments for the new subconcession, to be awarded via an international public tender under a public-private partnership model.

Contract timetable and Metro do Porto network expansion

According to the document, "The contract, with a start date expected in April 2027 and lasting eight years, has a maximum value of €690 million. The measure ensures continuity of operation of the system after the end of the current subconcession contract, keeping pace with the expansion of the network, including the future Pink, Ruby, Gondomar and Trofa Lines".

At the press conference following Friday’s Council of Ministers meeting, the Minister of the Presidency, Leitão Amaro, had already indicated that the new tender would mean higher spending than in the past, since there is an "increase in the number of lines and in the operation" of Metro do Porto. "If the operation is larger and broader, there is naturally an increase in expenditure," he stressed, without specifying the amount at the time. The figure was later published in the statement released late in the evening.

Current ViaPorto subconcession and extensions

The subconcession awarded to ViaPorto, part of the Barraqueiro Group, began in January 2018 and ran until 31 March 2025. The ordinance governing the tender process referred to the "possibility of renewal for a maximum period of two years", which ultimately occurred.

The contract was first extended by a further three months, up to 30 June 2025. Then, in July last year, the subconcession was extended again, this time through to March 2027.

The original contract value agreed with ViaPorto, signed for seven years (until 2025), was €311 million. After the two extensions, it rose to a maximum cap of €435 million, in line with the Government’s authorisation.

Tight procurement timetable and Court of Auditors criticism

Saturday’s statement says the new subconcession is intended to take effect in April, but meeting that date would require a race against the clock. Given how long previous tenders have taken to progress, only a very fast process-and one without setbacks (earlier tenders have always faced legal challenges)-would make the announced timetable achievable.

In practice, the extremely tight deadlines for running the procurement make it likely that another contract extension will be needed, a step that has already drawn criticism from the Court of Auditors for leaving the State in a weakened position when faced with the concessionaire’s demands, under the risk of the transport service being interrupted.