PORTUGUESE Trains (CP) carried over 100 million passengers in the first six months of this year, up 9.3% on 2024 and setting a new record for the national operator.
The largest increase was recorded by the regional service group, up 133% on the year before. According to CP, this reflects the major impact on modal shift produced by the introduction in October 2024 of the Green Rail Pass, offering 30 days’ unlimited travel on most CP services for €20.
Ridership on Coimbra commuter services grew by 84% year-on-year and on inter-city services by 48%. The Lisbon commuter network continues to represent the largest proportion of overall CP traffic, carrying a total of 68 million passengers in the first half of this year.
The Green Travel Pass can be used on those sections of the Lisbon and Porto commuter networks outside the area covered by multimodal public transport passes for those cities. It can also be used for second class travel in inter-city services with a compulsory seat reservation that is provided free of charge, and CP says that 1.25 million bookings have been made with the pass.
Since the Green Rail Pass went on sale in October last year, over 390,000 have been sold, including over 315,000 between January and June 2025. CP says that this growing demand demonstrates the impact that the new ticket is having on public transport in Portugal.
Modal shift to rail has been further encouraged during the first six months of this year by the reopening to passenger traffic of the line between Porto and Leixões, the Mangualde - Celorico da Beira section of the Beira Alta Line, and the Meleças - Malveira and Malveira - Torres Vedras sections of West Line from Cacém to Figuera da Foz.
Reflecting high demand, last month CP introduced more Lisbon - Porto Alfa Pendular inter-city services on Saturdays and public holidays.
