Rail traffic on the Cascais line remains conditional and has no deadline for normalization, two weeks after the fire at the Lisbon substation Cais do Sodré, a source from the Infraestrutura de Portugal (IP) told Lusa this Friday.
Due to a fire that occurred on 19 March at the Cais do Sodre electrical substation, caused by a cable laying maneuver as part of work on the Lisbon metro, train services were suspended from 8:00 to 18:40 between Cais do Sodre. stations (Lisbon) and Alges (Oeiras).
Since then, train services on the Cascais line have remained limited, with reduced train numbers and stoppages at all stations, a source from CP – Comboios de Portugal confirmed to Lusa.
The same source said there are currently six trains operating during peak hours and three per hour outside of peak hours.
In a written response sent to Lusa, the IP source indicated that there is no forecast yet for the start of an intervention that would normalize blood circulation on the Cascais line.
The causes of the fire, as explained by the same source, “are not related to the modernization works of the Cascais line that are ongoing, and do not interfere with the normal progress of these works, which are taking place at this stage between the municipalities of Oeiras and Cascais.”
“The preliminary assessment established that during the work under the contract for the construction of sections between the future station [do Metropolitano de] Santos and the Cais do Sodre terminal station (ring line), as a result of a cable laying maneuver, a short circuit occurred, which subsequently led to a fire at the Cais do Sodre traction substation, which was promptly extinguished by our own means.” , refers to IP.
Also, according to the same source, “Lisbon Metropolitano has already decided to launch an investigation to investigate the incident and its causes.”
On the day of the incident, in a note published on the social network Facebook, the Lisbon Fire Regiment reported that at 8:08 am it received a warning of “heavy smoke at the Cais do Sodre substation, with immediate shutdown of the line between Cais do Sodre and Alcantara.” , while at 8:53 am it was announced that the fire had been extinguished.
About 500 people had to be removed by drivers from two trains, one from Lisbon to Alges and the other from Alges to Lisbon.
About 30 passengers were also taken off the train, which was scheduled to stop in front of the old FIL train station in the Alges-Lisbon direction, Sapadore said.