The government says the loop line is still possible on the Lisbon Metro, but circulation benefits more users.

The Secretary of State for Urban Mobility said this Friday that a loop-shaped line on the Metropolitano de Lisbon is still possible, despite studies showing that the option benefits fewer users than the loop line.

Jorge Delgado, who was heard this Friday in Parliament at the request of the PS, stressed that the Metropolitano de Lisboa expects to submit additional studies by early 2024 to assess the benefits of each of the hypotheses, which should be submitted by the end of 2024. early next year so that the government can make a final decision.

A government official stressed that initial research “shows that 45% of Metro users will use this” ring network.

The “ring” line option would favor yellow line passengers who would avoid changing at Campo Grande.

Metropolitano de Lisboa president Vitor Domínguez dos Santos, who had previously been heard on the same commission, believed that the possibility of a ring line running around the ring would not solve most of the problems.

The official emphasized that the circle line allows from the very beginning to increase the frequency of trains to three minutes and 40 seconds, which is about two minutes faster than now.

According to him, taking into account the option with a loop, “the route is longer” and this time it will be difficult to get there.

The Secretary of State also said that the Metro Purple Line, which is to connect Loures with Odivelas, “is an issue that has not yet been resolved.”

“We have to reformulate the design with the Recovery and Sustainability Plan in mind, because the original design was conceived as a line lying completely on the surface, and in the end it was verified that this was not possible,” he said, stressing that “it has become very expensive” project.