Porto Metro unveils extended yellow line to the public

The Porto Metro opens a new chapter in its history as its expanded Yellow Line commences operations

The 206-million-euro project, which started early 2023, aims to bring sustainable transport to the southern part of the city and was supervised by Ayesa in partnership with Fase. Three kilometres have been added to the line, bringing its total length to 10 kilometres.

At 10 a.m, Friday 28 June, the first train departed from the Santo Ovídio station. On board were the Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, and the Minister for the Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, as well as several figures from the world of politics and business, the President of the Porto Metro, Tiago Braga, and the Mayor of Vila Nova de Gaia, Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues.

The new section features one underground station (Manuel Leão) and two at-grade stations (Hospital Santos Silva and Vila d’Este). It also includes an impressive 420-meter-high viaduct between Santo Ovídio and Manuel Leão, a 1-kilometer-long tunnel extending to Hospital Santos Silva, and a depot.

A benchmark for metros across Europe

Since 2005, the Yellow Line has connected Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, two of the region’s largest cities. It is also the busiest of the six lines that make up the Porto Metro. With 81 stations and five tunnels spanning 67 kilometers, it is one of Europe’s largest metro systems. It is set to expand even further with three new lines currently under construction: the Pink Line, between São Bento and Casa da Música; Metrobus, between Casa da Música and Praça do Império; and the Ruby Line, between Casa da Música and Santo Ovídio, designed by Ayesa. Once all three lines are completed, the Porto Metro is expected to serve 325,000 passengers daily, amounting to nearly 120 million people each year.