The Strategic Guidelines for the Railway Sector, announced by the MOPTC in October 2006, establish the reference framework for developing the sector within a time frame up to 2015. These guidelines establish the strategic framework for relations between the State, REFER and operators in terms of supervision and funding.

Strategic Objectives

• Improve accessibility and mobility, in order to achieve a significant increase in market share;
   
• Ensure suitable standards for safety, interoperability and environmental sustainability;
   
• Evolve towards a sustainable funding model which promotes efficiency;
   
• Promote research, development and innovation.
  
   

Goals

• Spatial coverage of the network – more than 50% growth in terms of the network density per thousand inhabitants and per square kilometre;
   
• Reduced journey times – 60 % of the resident population of Portugal should be able to travel between the main urban centres by railway services with an overall travelling time of less than two hours and 90% of the population should be able to do so in less than three hours;
   
• 10% growth in the number of passengers and in the number of passengers / km transported;
   
• 70 % growth in the volume of tonnes / km transported;
   
• 60 % reduction in the number of accidents at level crossings.

For further information see: http://www.moptc.pt/cs2.asp?idcat=1051