Metro do Porto hosted the Associação Salvador, an institution dedicated to motor disabilities, for a tour of the Material and Workshop Park in Guifões. During the visit, a model of the DT, the next generation of metro vehicles to operate on the network, was presented. Mariana Oliveira, representing the association, exchanged views with Metro officials on the characteristics and innovations of the future vehicles, designed for more user-friendly and accessible use by people with reduced mobility.
One of the key highlighted improvements is the 16-millimeter reduction in the step height at the entrance/exit doors, compared to the CT typology. This change aims to mitigate an obstacle that can cause accessibility difficulties for people with motor impairments. Metro do Porto included this requirement in the tender documents for the new rolling stock, responding to requests from associations like Salvador.
Inside the trains, the space has been expanded with the removal of the central balustrade, allowing for more comfortable circulation. The designated area for people with reduced mobility has also been modified, providing, according to a user from the Associação Salvador, better accommodation for wheelchairs and thus a more comfortable journey.
The 22 DT train sets are being developed by CRRC, the world's largest railway manufacturer. The investment totals 69.5 million euros, financed by Sustentável 2030 and the Fundo Ambiental. These new units are expected to arrive in Porto before the commercial operation of the Linha Rubi begins, for which they are primarily intended.
