Portugal enacts new railway safety and licensing regime

The President of Portugal has promulgated a new legal regime for the licensing, maintenance, and inspection of railway transport. This legislative change follows the September 2025 accident involving the Glória Elevator in Lisbon, which resulted in 16 deaths.

The new framework covers various transport systems, including metropolitan networks, light rail, trams, tourist trains, and certain isolated railway networks. It also extends to elevators and funiculars classified as having historical, cultural, or patrimonial interest.

A key feature of the reform is the redistribution of responsibilities between two agencies. The Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT) will manage licensing and access to railway transport activities. Meanwhile, the Mobility and Transport Authority (AMT) will assume duties related to maintenance, safety certification, construction authorizations, supervision, inspection, and personnel certification for safety roles.