Government creates working group to diagnose degradation of railway punctuality

Order No. 11488/2026, published in the Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 182, of September 18, 2026, creates a temporary working group to analyze the main causes of the degradation of railway punctuality and present action recommendations aimed at its improvement. The decree is signed by the Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Hugo Morato Alface do Espírito Santo, on August 26, 2026, and by the Secretary of State for Mobility, Cristina Maria dos Santos Pinto Dias, on August 27, 2026, and takes effect on the date of signature.

The order is issued by the Office of the Secretary of State for Infrastructure and the Office of the Secretary of State for Mobility, within the scope of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. It is based on Article 19 of Decree-Law No. 87-A/2025, of July 25, paragraphs 8 to 10 of Article 28 of Law No. 4/2004, of January 15, as currently worded, and the powers delegated through Order No. 12445/2025, of October 23, and Order No. 12489/2025, of October 24.

In the recitals, the Government justifies the measure due to the “trend of deterioration in railway punctuality indicators, with a particular incidence on long-distance passenger services,” within a context of accelerating modernization works of the national railway infrastructure. The executive also points to the “obsolescence and limited availability of rolling stock of Comboios de Portugal, E. P. E.” as a relevant structural constraint, which affects service reliability and the capacity to respond to demand.

Objectives of the working group

The working group pursues four objectives set out in the order:

• Perform a diagnosis of the current situation, identifying and characterizing the main causes of delays, whether of a structural or operational nature.
• Identify critical points of the network and services, specifically lines, sections, or interfaces with the highest incidence of disruptions.
• Identify improvement measures with an impact on punctuality, namely at the level of operational management of rolling stock, speed limitations, and technical timetables.
• Define mechanisms for continuous monitoring and evaluation, allowing for the tracking of the implementation of measures and proposing adjustments whenever necessary.

Composition and appointment deadlines

Coordination is the responsibility of a representative from the Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing. The group also includes:

• One representative from the Office of the Secretary of State for Infrastructure.
• One representative from the Office of the Secretary of State for Mobility.
• Two representatives from Infraestruturas de Portugal, S. A.
• Two representatives from Comboios de Portugal, E. P. E.

The entities shall designate their respective representatives to the Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing within five working days following the publication of the order. The representatives of Infraestruturas de Portugal and Comboios de Portugal must possess adequate technical competencies in the areas of planning, operations management, and maintenance, and ensure the timely and detailed provision of operational data and access to the monitoring systems necessary for the diagnosis.

Report in four months

The group shall deliver, within four months after the publication of the order, a report containing the diagnosis of railway punctuality and the respective improvement proposals, including an action plan with the identification of measures, responsible parties, deadlines, and monitoring indicators. To meet this deadline, the group shall meet with the appropriate frequency and may request technical contributions from specialists or other relevant entities.

Technical and administrative support is provided by the Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, and participation in the group does not entitle any right to any remuneration or additional compensation.

The measure responds to a problem felt by those who use the train: the loss of reliability of schedules, especially in long-distance services. The report to be presented within four months should identify the causes of delays and establish measures, responsible parties, and monitoring indicators, which will allow for the evaluation of whether the Government’s intervention produces concrete effects on the punctuality of rail transport.

Source: Diário da República, 2nd series, no. 182, of September 18, 2026, pág. 1-2 (official reference: Order no. 11488/2026).