In a press release, Metropolitano de Lisboa clarifies that, by delegation from the State, through ordinance 410/2024/2, published in the 2nd series of the Diário da República of March 21, 2024, the Government chose the company for the completion of these works, with a global expense of up to €1.65 million, due to the national and international experience that the company has in this field.

Metropolitano de Lisboa adds that the Government justifies the choice of the company with the "nature of the project, the degree of complexity of the procedures inherent to the implementation of investments in high-capacity On-Site Public Transport (TCSP) systems and the deadlines associated with the financing under the Climate Action and Sustainability Program (PACS)".

"The extension of the surface light rail system from the south bank of the Tagus to Costa de Caparica is one of the TCSP system projects in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area considered a priority by the State and is included in the Climate Action and Sustainability Program (PACS) of the Portugal 2030", reads the same note.

The company also states that the PACS foresees an allocation of €3.1 billion, financed by the Cohesion Fund, intended to finance projects within the priorities defined for this Program, including sustainable urban mobility.

The expansion of Metro Sul do Tejo to Costa de Caparica was announced by Prime Minister António Costa on March 29 last year, during the Closer Government initiative in the district of Setúbal, responding to a demand from the population since it began the operation of the surface metro in the municipalities of Almada and Seixal, in the district of Setúbal, on April 30, 2007.

In addition to the connection between Metro Sul do Tejo and Costa de Caparica, which will now be studied by Metropolitano de Lisboa, other future connections are also planned, namely in the municipality of Seixal, between Corroios and Fogueteiro, and in the municipalities of Seixal and Barreiro, between Fogueteiro, Seixal River Terminal, Barreiro River Terminal and the railway station at Lavradio.

Currently, with three lines in operation, Cacilhas/Corroios, Pragal/Corroios and Cacilhas/Campus of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the New University of Lisbon, in Caparica, the Metro Sul do Tejo has revolutionized mobility between Almada, Corroios and Monte da Caparica and according to company data, it transports more than 16 million passengers per year.

Passengers on Metro Sul do Tejo also benefit from connections to transport interfaces, in Corroios and Pragal (trains) and in Cacilhas (boats), as well as to dozens of stops on the Carris Metropolitana.