The protest was convened by the National Independent Union of Railways after union leader José Oliveira Vilela found that new admissions announced to reinforce the railway company did not cover the “Alfa Pendular” trains.

“Our union structure decided that it was the last straw as this has been going on for too long and that action had to be taken to show concern with what is happening,” the statement by the railway union reads.

The union also complained there had been no recruitment for the High Speed Maintenance Unit and that this led to a complicated situation due a lack of employees.