The São Paulo government has terminated CCR Group’s concession for Line 15-Silver, as announced by the Secretary of Partnerships and Investments.
Despite this, the Metro will maintain normal operations, and a new bid process is pending.
Daily, Line 15-Silver transports approximately 115,000 passengers and links to Line 2-Green.
Initially planned in 2009 with 18 stations, the line stretches 26.6 kilometers. It aimed for completion by 2012 with a budget of R$ 6.4 billion, but delays occurred, and only a few stations opened by 2018.
ViaMobilidade Consortium, part of CCR, secured the concession in March 2019, facing no competition.
However, legal challenges halted their control. The Metro Workers Union’s lawsuit, citing procedural flaws, temporarily annulled the concession, although reversed in 2022. Yet, CCR did not commence operations.
Currently, 11 stations operate along 11.6 kilometers. Plans for extending the line, including adding stations Boa Esperança and Jacu Pêssego by 2025, were approved in December 2022.
Since its 2015 launch, Line 15-Silver has faced various operational issues. Incidents range from a severe concrete crack in January 2023 to a collision between trains in March, fortunately without passengers.
Additional mishaps include a falling component in September 2022 and a tire burst in February. A similar collision in January 2019, caused by human error, led to dismissals.
Besides Line 15-Silver, CCR operates other major transport lines and highways in São Paulo.
They expressed no opposition to the contract termination and showed readiness for new opportunities.
The Metro reassured that services on Line 15-Silver and related construction projects would continue as planned.
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