The Portuguese government has allocated an additional €150 million for the 11.5 km Violet light rail transit (LRT) line in Lisbon, after construction costs rose by 28% to €527 million. Completion has been postponed to 2029. The original tender failed because all bids exceeded the base price by an average of 46%. Reasons for the cost increase are additional viaducts and tunnels, global price developments, and expenses for land purchase and conversion. Due to the delay, the project is no longer eligible for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). As an alternative, financing by the European Investment Bank (EIB) is being considered. The LRT line with 17 stops between Loures and Odivelas enables a transfer to the Yellow Line of the Lisbon Metro.
