Former secretary of State for Transport Asked to Leave Intercidades Bar Car Due to New CP rules
Lisbon, Portugal – Frederico Francisco, a former Secretary of State for Transport adn current researcher at the Faculty of Engineering of Porto, recently experienced firsthand new restrictions imposed on the use of bar carriages on Portugal’s Intercidades trains.Francisco was reportedly asked to move from a bar car seat after being observed working during a journey between Porto and Lisbon,a route he has travelled by train for 15 years.
The incident highlights a recent policy shift by Comboios de Portugal (CP) aimed at addressing overcrowding in the popular bar cars. CP implemented the changes following an increase in passenger complaints about individuals occupying bar seating for extended periods – for activities like working, reading, or studying - rather than utilizing the space for its intended purpose: consuming bar service products.
According to a notice posted in the Intercidades bar cars, the seats are now “intended only for the consumption of bar products” and are not to be occupied by those “who do not express the intention to consume.” The notice also reiterates a prohibition on using cell phones or other electronic devices on speakerphone within the bar car.
Francisco, who stated he did not identify himself as a former official during the interaction, defended the bar car as a key advantage of train travel, particularly when compared to bus journeys. “I would often return at dinner time and take the chance to go to the bar to eat something and spend 20 to 30 minutes of the journey there, working, reading, or just contemplating the landscape,” he explained.”I consider that one of the differentiating advantages of the train in relation to the bus is, precisely, this possibility of being able to go to the bar.” He pointed to examples in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and France, where trains offer quality bar and restaurant services.
CP responded to inquiries from PÚBLICO stating the new rules where necessary due to increased occupancy rates on Intercidades trains. The company noted numerous complaints from passengers unable to access bar seating due to prolonged occupation by others.
The situation is further elaborate by the recent success of the Green Rail Pass, which has increased demand for Intercidades services, leading to frequently sold-out trains. In some instances, passengers traveling from stations without open ticket offices – particularly in the Alentejo region – have been left wiht no option but to utilize the bar car for seating.
looking ahead, though, the availability of bar cars on Portuguese trains is set to diminish. New trains ordered from Stadler and Alstom will feature only limited space - a single area per carriage – for vending machines, moving away from the European model of offering dedicated catering services on rail lines.
