CP 3500 series multlipe units

Built between 1998 and 2000

In the context of the works by the Lisbon Railway Node Office in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, which included the installation of the railway deck on the 25 de Abril Bridge and the quadrupling of the line between Braço de Prata and Alverca, CP launched a tender for double-decker railcars from GEC-Alstom and CAF -Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, manufactured between 1998 and 2000, of which 18 were transferred to Fertagus to serve the North-South Railway Axis, and twelve for CP's suburban services, representing an investment of around 14 billion escudos.

Capable of reaching speeds of 140 km/h, these were the first double-decker railcars in Portugal. They have a capacity for 1,260 passengers (480 seated and 780 standing), with a reserved space for wheelchairs on platforms at each end of the multiple units. They are air-conditioned and have an audio system, destination and stop indicators, and information on the outside temperature and local time.

They have a green, white and red livery on the outside, and entered service with CP-Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses, E.P. - Greater Lisbon Suburban Unit in 1999, allowing for a thorough overhaul of the suburban rail service in Azambuja, as it does not interfere with long-distance trains, and created a new family of trains between Vila Franca de Xira and Alcântara Terra.

‘Their new, attractive design means the new multiple units combine the most modern criteria of ergonomics and modularity, ensuring the highest standards of safety, comfort and quality.’(1)

At the end of 2011, refurbishment work began at the former EMEF workshops in Entroncamento, including colour adjustments and restoration of the interiors to their original quality, replacement of windows, and a change to red and white for the exterior, in institutional harmony with the 2300 series multiple units. However, in 2013, due to the financial crisis in Portugal and sector guidelines, two units were taken out of service at Campolide.

In 2021, with the integration of EMEF into CP, it was decided to return the entire 3500 fleet to service, restoring, among other things, one floor of those two multiple units at the CP Workshops in Entroncamento, at an approximate cost of €2 million to strengthen rail transport in the Lisbon region, with trains between Lisbon and Sintra, Lisbon Santa Apolónia and Castanheira do Ribatejo, Lisbon Alcântara Terra and Azambuja.

Composition of Units 3519/3569 and 3530/3580

Power unit	Intermediate trailer	Intermediate trailer	Power unit
947 3519	599 3519	599 3569	947 3569
947 3520	599 3520	599 3570	947 3570
947 3521	599 3521	599 3571	947 3571
947 3522	599 3522	599 3572	947 3572
947 3523	599 3523	599 3573	947 3573
947 3524	599 3524	599 3574	947 3574
947 3525	599 3525	599 3575	947 3575
947 3526	599 3526	599 3576	947 3576
947 3527	599 3527	599 3577	947 3577
947 3528	599 3528	599 3578	947 3578
947 3529	599 3529	599 3579	947 3579
947 3530	599 3530	599 3580	947 3580

(1) CP Bulletin, September, No. 24, Series II, in CP Bulletin | CP - Comboios de Portugal - CP.PT