Forty Faulty Chinese-Manufactured Trains Taken out of Circulation in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – According to the concessionaire, the removal will require operational changes as of Monday. Among these changes is the increase in gaps between trains.

The total fleet includes 201 trains, among the ones in operation and those undergoing preventive and scheduled maintenance.

According to SuperVia, the forty trains can no longer remain in operation because of standards issues found in the traction boxes (gear that transfers energy from the engine to the axle and wheels), still in the factory warranty phase.

Also according to the concessionaire, the trains were delivered and included in the operation between 2014 and 2016 by the State Government of Rio, which bought them from a Chinese company. SuperVia adds that the company has already organized a recall to correct the problem, “but without solving it”.

“With the increased frequency of faults, SuperVia has intensified inspections, which led to the removal of these 40 trains from circulation under the guidance of the Chinese manufacturer itself,” said the concessionaire.

SuperVia further reported that the required operational changes will be an increase in the time periods between Japeri and Santa Cruz suburban branch lines and between Gramacho and Saracuruna; and also some trips of the Deodoro branch will be made in four-car trains, instead of the current eight cars.

“SuperVia and the State Government are working closely with the suppliers so that the service may return to normal as soon as possible. The traction boxes are supplied to the CRRC Consortium by Voith, a German company,” said the concessionaire’s statement.

Source: G1