REFER, Rede Ferroviária Nacional, EP (i.e. National Railway Network) was the Portuguese rail infrastructure manager. It was a state-owned company and was created to manage the Portuguese rail infrastructure, previously under control of CP, which became exclusively a train service operator.
It was incorporated on 29 April 1997 by government decree no. 104/97 and was 100% owned by the Portuguese state.
As per a decree-law dated 29 May 2015 and taking effect as of 1 June 2015, Portugal's rail infrastructure manager REFER, EP has merged with Estradas de Portugal S.S., the Portuguese road manager, creating a new company called ‘Infraestruturas de Portugal, S.A.’[1]
All duties and responsibilities of Estradas de Portugal and REFER, EP, have therefore been transferred to Infraestruturas de Portugal.
Network
The Portuguese railway network consists (2010) of 2,843 km of track:
- 1,668 mm gauge: 2,650 km, of which 1,460 km are electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz AC and 25 km at 1.5 kV DC. Of this, 563 km are double track and 43 km multiple track