Livre’s proposal was approved during the votes on the specialty of the OE2024 proposal, with IL voting against, PSD and Chega abstaining and in favor of the other parties in the Budget and Finance Committee.
“By the end of the first half of 2024, the government will expand the territorial scope of the National Rail Pass to interregional trains across the entire rail network and to urban and intercity trains” on certain routes, the proposal said.
The extension of the rail pass to city and intercity trains covers the routes Viana do Castelo – Barcelos – Famalicão – Braga; Famalicão – Trofa – Santo Tirso – Guimarães; Coimbra-Figueira da Foz; Castelo Branco – Fundão – Covilhã – Guarda; Beja – Casa Branca – Évora; and Tunes – Loulé – Faro.
“The monthly value of the National Rail Pass remains 49 euros,” the Livre initiative notes.
According to the proposal, the extension of the National Rail Pass “will be accompanied by the strengthening of the rail service and investments in the renewal and purchase of rolling stock”.
The initiative also stipulates that the public service contract between the State and CP-Comboios de Portugal “will be reviewed and updated to compensate CP for the loss of revenue and increase in operating costs resulting from the extension of the National Rail Pass”.
“During the year 2024, the Cabinet, together with the Mobility and Transport Authority, the Mobility and Transport Institute, the various Transport Authorities, the Metropolitan Regions and Intermunicipal Communities, will study the forms for creating the National Mobility Pass that gives access to urban, suburban, regional, medium-distance and flexible transport in road, rail, river and smooth mobility modes through the expansion of the ‘Incentive +TP’ programs and the 1Bilhete.pt platform”, you can read in support of the Livre- proposal.
In the justification, Livre states that the National Railway Pass, which currently provides access to all regional trains in the country for 49 euros per month, was created in 2023, the result of a proposed amendment by the party to the 2023 State Budget.
Source: DN
