Opened in December , it was the first subway system in Portugal. As of [update] , the system's four lines total The idea of building a system of underground railways for the city of Lisbon first arose in Concrete plans took longer to evolve, though. None of these plans were carried out. After World War II , in which Portugal remained neutral, the national economy took off and the financial possibilities arising from the Marshall Plan provided a strong boost to the potential construction of a metro in Lisbon.
A society was formed on 26 January with the purpose of studying the technical and economic feasibility of the project.
Construction began on 7 August , and four years later, on 29 December , the Lisbon Metro was inaugurated. The new system was well received by the public, and in the first year the Metro carried more than The metro has proved an important factor in urban development of the city, outlining new areas of housing and services.
In it was expanded from Restauradores to Rossio, then further to Anjos in and finally to Alvalade in After this first extension, no further stations were opened until In , after the Carnation Revolution , the management model was changed, being nationalized in and renamed Metropolitano de Lisboa, EP in Under the new management, works were carried to enlarge platforms, originally designed to receive two cars, so that these could receive four cars.
The s were marked by several extension programmes. These four stations were the first to be built from scratch with platforms long enough to receive six cars metres and with artwork in the platforms themselves.
