Gaia City Council rejects high-speed rail station in Santo Ovídio

The Gaia City Council has reaffirmed its opposition to the construction of a high-speed rail station in Santo Ovídio. In a statement released Friday night, the municipality demanded that authorities evaluate an alternative location in the Mafamude and Vilar do Paraíso areas.

Mayor Luís Filipe Menezes warned of the “enormous potential gravity of the impacts” caused by the project. Concerns include at least five years of mobility constraints, the daily movement of approximately 200 trucks for earthworks, and significant risks to local commerce. Additionally, the council cited potential difficulties accessing the Gaia Hospital via Rua Conceição Fernandes, alongside environmental and urbanistic consequences in a highly populated area.

The municipality maintains that the project should not proceed at the Santo Ovídio site without addressing these objections. Menezes argued there is still time to relocate the station to a flatter area in the south, which would facilitate better urban growth and avoid extensive excavation.