The Government’s July 2026 summary describes a dedicated rail link through the Third Tagus Crossing between Chelas and Lavradio, opening in 2034, with a station of four tracks and three platforms and about 20 million rail passengers a year.
On the roads it lists 250 km of new roads and more than 50 km of upgrades, for an estimated 65,000 light and about 2,000 heavy vehicles a day. ANA’s own release says ‘more than 250 km’; we show both figures.
Rail and roads are separate projects with their own decisions and schedules. None had an approved alignment or construction contract in the sources reviewed.
Rail journey time to central Lisbon
| Figure | Value | Price base | Estimate date | Scope | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 proposal | about 20 minutes | — | Advertised journey time on the proposed dedicated link. | Status: Officially proposed | Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government), ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal (VINCI Airports) |
Rail passengers per year (estimate)
| Figure | Value | Price base | Estimate date | Scope | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 estimate | 20 million passengers a year | — | Passengers expected to travel to and from the airport by train. | Status: Target / forecast | Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) |
Road works
| Figure | Value | Price base | Estimate date | Scope | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New roads (Government: 250 km; ANA: more than 250 km) | 250 km | — | Length of new road infrastructure planned. | Status: Officially proposed | Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government), ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal (VINCI Airports) | |
| Upgrades to existing network | more than 50 km | — | Length of existing roads to be upgraded. | Status: Officially proposed | Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government), ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal (VINCI Airports) |
Daily road traffic (estimate)
| Figure | Value | Price base | Estimate date | Scope | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy vehicles | about 2,000 vehicles a day | — | Estimated daily heavy-vehicle movements. | Status: Target / forecast | Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) | |
| Light vehicles | 65,000 vehicles a day | — | Estimated daily light-vehicle movements on the access network. | Status: Target / forecast | Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) |
Proposed access links (schematic)
Schematic, not to scale. No alignment has been approved or published; nothing here shows a route.
- Central Lisbon / Chelas
- Third Tagus Crossing — proposed road-rail bridge
- Barreiro / Lavradio
- Dedicated rail link (proposed) · about 20 minutes · target 2034
- Airport station (4 tracks, 3 platforms, proposed)
Proposed road schemes · 250 km new · more than 50 km upgraded
- EN4 · EN10 · EN119 → airport links
- A33 → A12 / A13
- IC13: airport – Ponte de Sor – Alter do Chão
- EN118 dualling · EN119 upgrade
Getting to the airport: the proposed numbers
- about 20 minutesby train to central Lisbon (proposed)Status: Officially proposed
- 20 million passengers a yearrail passengers a year (estimate)Status: Target / forecast
- 250 kmof new roads proposedStatus: Officially proposed
- more than 50 kmof existing roads upgradedStatus: Officially proposed
Road traffic expected each day · 65,000 light vehicles · about 2,000 heavy vehicles
Each icon = 1,000 vehicles a day. Red: heavy goods vehicles.
The Vasco da Gama Bridge carries the A12 motorway from Lisbon to the south bank, towards Montijo and Alcochete. The proposed road schemes include connecting the A33 to the A12. October 2019.
“Ponte Vasco da Gama from Parque Tejo”, © André B. Matos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized to 1,600 px wide.
The EN118 national road passing houses in Benavente. The July 2026 road plan proposes dualling the EN118; where and how has not been published. October 2023.
“Casario próximo da Fonte de Santo António junto à Estrada Nacional 118 em Benavente”, © Threeohsix, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized to 1,600 px wide.
An Alfa Pendular at Lisboa Oriente, the station where the Lisbon–Porto high-speed line is planned to end. April 2011.
“Alfa Pendular 127, Gare do Oriente, 2011.04.21”, © Nuno Morão, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized to 1,600 px wide.
Illustration — not to scale, not the airport design
A train on a viaduct over salt marsh. The airport rail link is proposed; no route has been approved.
Illustration: Luís de Camões Airport Observatory (original work).
Illustration — not to scale, not the airport design
Cars and lorries on a road and an overpass. The road schemes around the airport are proposals.
Illustration: Luís de Camões Airport Observatory (original work).
What the documents say
- Status: Officially proposed Proposal
Road plans include 250 km of new roads and more than 50 km of upgrades to the existing network.
Source: Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) Details and history: 250 km of new roads and more than 50 km of upgrades
- Status: Officially proposed Proposal
The airport is to be 20 minutes from central Lisbon by train, through a dedicated link via the Third Tagus Crossing, a new road-rail bridge between Chelas and Lavradio.
Source: Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) Source: ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal (VINCI Airports) Details and history: About 20 minutes by train to central Lisbon
Open questions
Will the rail link and roads be ready on the day the airport opens?
Open
Why it matters
An airport without its access links would push traffic onto roads not designed for it.
What is known so far
The rail target is 2034 and the airport target is 'from 2035'. They are separate projects with separate decisions; synchronisation is not guaranteed.
Source: Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) Source: Infraestruturas de Portugal
Questions answered
How will I get there by train?
The plan is a dedicated rail link via a new Third Tagus Crossing between Chelas and Lavradio, with about 20 minutes to central Lisbon and a station with four tracks and three platforms linked to long-distance trains. It is a proposal with a 2034 opening target.
Source: Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) Source: Infraestruturas de Portugal Permalink: How will I get there by train?
Is the 20-minute journey guaranteed?
No. It is an advertised journey time for a line that has not been built or approved. The exact city-centre terminus was not specified in the sources reviewed.
Source: Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) Permalink: Is the 20-minute journey guaranteed?
Will the train be ready when the airport opens?
The rail target (2034) is earlier than the airport target (from 2035), but they are separate projects with separate decisions. Synchronisation is not guaranteed.
Source: Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) Source: Infraestruturas de Portugal Permalink: Will the train be ready when the airport opens?
What roads are planned?
250 km of new roads (ANA says more than 250 km) and more than 50 km of upgrades, including links from the EN4, EN10 and EN119, the A33 to the A12 and A13, the IC13 to Ponte de Sor and Alter do Chão, dualling the EN118 and improving the EN119.
Source: Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) Source: ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal (VINCI Airports) Permalink: What roads are planned?
Who will pay for the roads, and when will they be built?
Not established in the public record
Unknown. Ownership, financing and delivery dates for each road scheme have not been published in the sources reviewed.
Source: Portuguese Government (XXV Constitutional Government) Permalink: Who will pay for the roads, and when will they be built?
Sources
Luís de Camões Airport should represent an investment of between 7.9 and 8.9 billion
Original: Luís de Camões Airport should represent an investment of between 7.9 and 8.9 billion Link checked
ANA delivers the technical report for the new Lisbon airport
Original: ANA delivers the technical report for the new Lisbon airport Link checked
Related explainers
Explainer
The 20-minute train: the rail link and the Third Tagus Crossing
The airport’s headline access promise rests on a bridge and a line that are not yet built or approved. What has been announced, and by whom.