The Sousel Railway Station, deactivated for more than 30 years, awaits a new life, with the projected concession for tourism purposes of the building owned by the State, for a minimum period of 20 years.
“Today [yesterday, September 29] is a special day for me, it was here that I was born and I have part of my life here and for that I thank this Government for 30 years after the end of this season to get to work and with the signing of this protocol allows to give new life to this infrastructure ”, said Manuel Valério, Mayor of Sousel.
The mayor also recalled that the municipality has an approved application that will allow the construction of an ecopista on the abandoned railway line, with about 16 kilometers, and that will revitalize this entire area.
The Sousel Railway Station is part of the new program of the State Secretariat of Tourism, called 'Revive Ferrovia', to recover a set of 30 abandoned railway stations, some of which are in an advanced state of degradation, in the North and Alentejo regions.
In practice, the Government has extended the 'Revive' program to railway stations and stops with the aim of requalifying these public properties for tourism purposes.
In the second phase, scheduled for the first quarter of 2021, the first public tenders will be launched to grant these spaces to private operators, to use them in the tourist area, from catering and local accommodation areas, trade in regional articles and other dynamic services. economies in each region.
The winner (s) of the concession tender for each railway station must (must) finance the work with their own funds or seek support from the bank.
Each infrastructure must be leased for a minimum period of 20 years.
It should be remembered that, as the Jornal Económico reported, the 'Revive Ferrovia' was the target of a protocol signed yesterday between Turismo Fundo and IP Património (a subsidiary of IP - Infraestruturas de Portugal), by their presidents, respectively, Pedro Moreira and Carlos Fernandes, in a ceremony that also included the presence of the State Secretaries of Infrastructure, Jorge Delgado; and Tourism, Rita Marques.
The Secretary of State for Tourism clarified that the 'Revive Ferrovia “is based on deactivated railway stations, such as the Sousel station, and will allow its requalification and reopening, now in the context of economic activities related to tourism” .
"These are stations in a vacant state and which are not part of the railway renewal plans in Portugal and, therefore, can be mobilized for other purposes," said the minister.
As for the Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Jorge Delgado, "this protocol aims to assume a commitment to a common objective of land management and a good example for the dynamization of the economy and our heritage".
"This is also the bet that the Government wants to make in rail tourism, allowing the concession of these disabled stations so that they can be requalified and used for tourism purposes", he said.
"The Government bet for this year 2020 on this type of tourism taking advantage of the many potential that our territory has as a sustainable and intelligent tourist destination" recalled the Secretary of State for Infrastructure.
The Sousel Railway Station, deactivated for more than 30 years, awaits a new life, with the projected concession for tourism purposes of the building owned by the State, for a minimum period of 20 years.
“Today [yesterday, September 29] is a special day for me, it was here that I was born and I have part of my life here and for that I thank this Government for 30 years after the end of this season to get to work and with the signing of this protocol allows to give new life to this infrastructure ”, said Manuel Valério, Mayor of Sousel.
The mayor also recalled that the municipality has an approved application that will allow the construction of an ecopista on the abandoned railway line, with about 16 kilometers, and that will revitalize this entire area.
The Sousel Railway Station is part of the new program of the State Secretariat of Tourism, called 'Revive Ferrovia', to recover a set of 30 abandoned railway stations, some of which are in an advanced state of degradation, in the North and Alentejo regions.
In practice, the Government has extended the 'Revive' program to railway stations and stops with the aim of requalifying these public properties for tourism purposes.
In the second phase, scheduled for the first quarter of 2021, the first public tenders will be launched to grant these spaces to private operators, to use them in the tourist area, from catering and local accommodation areas, trade in regional articles and other dynamic services. economies in each region.
The winner (s) of the concession tender for each railway station must (must) finance the work with their own funds or seek support from the bank.
Each infrastructure must be leased for a minimum period of 20 years.
It should be remembered that, as the Jornal Económico reported, the 'Revive Ferrovia' was the target of a protocol signed yesterday between Turismo Fundo and IP Património (a subsidiary of IP - Infraestruturas de Portugal), by their presidents, respectively, Pedro Moreira and Carlos Fernandes, in a ceremony that also included the presence of the State Secretaries of Infrastructure, Jorge Delgado; and Tourism, Rita Marques.
The Secretary of State for Tourism clarified that the 'Revive Ferrovia “is based on deactivated railway stations, such as the Sousel station, and will allow its requalification and reopening, now in the context of economic activities related to tourism” .
"These are stations in a vacant state and which are not part of the railway renewal plans in Portugal and, therefore, can be mobilized for other purposes," said the minister.
As for the Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Jorge Delgado, "this protocol aims to assume a commitment to a common objective of land management and a good example for the dynamization of the economy and our heritage".
"This is also the bet that the Government wants to make in rail tourism, allowing the concession of these disabled stations so that they can be requalified and used for tourism purposes", he said.
"The Government bet for this year 2020 on this type of tourism taking advantage of the many potential that our territory has as a sustainable and intelligent tourist destination" recalled the Secretary of State for Infrastructure.