Nuno Freitas: President of CP - Comboios de Portugal
"Someone concluded that the State would save money by stop wasting money by paying rent to ITSELF."
Nuno Freitas talked about the time when the Guifões Workshops closed in 2011 in a cost reduction measure from the financial crisis that swept the country on the start of the decade. The infrastructure was owned by REFER (now Infraestruturas de Portugal) the State's railway infrastructure manager, and this space was rented for CP - Comboios de Portugal.
"We expect the train to show up, to show up in time, and to show up clean."
Another shot at the past, referring to the railway crisis of 2018, when several trains were suspended due to lack of rolling stock or an excessive number of malfunctions, or ran severely late, dirty and graffitied both on the inside and the outside. The problem persists today, although not with the same intensity as it did in that fateful year.
The plan now is to start by covering the three fundamental criteria:
- The train shows up, meaning services shouldn't be suspended so often by CP's fault;
- The train shows up in time, meaning services don't run late by CP's fault;
- The train shows up clean, meaning the interiors and exteriors should look and feel clean and comfortable.
Pedro Nuno Santos: Portuguese Minister for Planning and Infrastructure
"CP should return to be one of the biggest Portuguese corporations."
Pedro Nuno Santos believes that the company should get back to its roots and, not only become the big national company it once was but also go even further. The fusion by incorporation of CP and EMEF is part of this big plan, and there are talks of eventually rejoin the Railway Infrastructure section of Infraestruturas de Portugal back to CP - Comboios de Portugal, and recover the name CP - Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses.
"We should also lose the habit of limiting ourselves to importing everything we need. CP is going to fight, build, do, create!"
The company should also gain enough critical mass to operate and work on its own, independently of the State and both the Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure and Ministry of Finance, while at the same time contributing to the national economy and industry with the recovery, refurbishment and manufacturing of trains.
António Costa: Portuguese Prime Minister
"Five years ago we decided that the railways should become a priority again."
After years, even decades, of neglect, the Portuguese Prime Minister believes it is time to create a commitment for the railway sector in Portugal, not only because of its contribution to the mobility and lives of hundreds of thousands of people but also because of the environmentally friendly aspect of this mode of transportation, fundamental to achieve carbon neutrality.
With the 2020 and 2030 railway infrastructure plans in motion or planning, it is also time to invest in the railway operation.
"It's absurd to abandon perfectly working trains that could still do service, when other rich countries, like Switzerland and France, still use similar rolling stock (...) instead of importing, we're creating jobs and value in Portugal."
Referring to the vehicles currently under-recovery and refurbishment, that were abandoned for 5 to 20 years and were also planned for scrapping. The option of recovering this fleet means that investment is also being applied using the economical, technical and labour potential the country has to offer.
Also, the recovery of these passenger cars accounts to a cost of around 80 thousand Euro (£68.000) per vehicle, revaluing each to a market price or around 500 thousand Euro (£430.000). A brand new passenger car would cost more than 700 or 800 thousand Euro (£600.000 to £680.000).
"In 2019 we manufactured a total of 340 thousand cars, making Portugal a member of the Club of Car Manufacturing Countries. Our dream is to also to become, again, a Train Manufacturing Country."
This is a reference to the manufacturing of Renault and Volkswagen Group road vehicles in Portugal, alongside auto components for export. The Prime Minister believes that, as Portugal once did with companies like Sorefame, Metalsines, Cometna, EMEF and even CP itself, the country will return to be a railway vehicle manufacturer.
EDIT: Some grammar corrections were made.
