Rebirth of railroads in Brazil: 21 contracts already signed for the construction of new railways in the country

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian federal program Pro Trilhos started in 2022 with 21 signed contracts granting authorization for the construction and operation of railways, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Infrastructure.

The initiative was launched in September 2021 and sought to expand the railway network of the second-largest economy in the Americas after the U.S. with private ventures.

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Together, these projects add 6,839.69 kilometers of new tracks to the country’s railway network, especially in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Maranhão, Bahia, Pernambuco, Piauí, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso and Goiás, in addition to the Federal District.

The investment projection for the authorized sections is US$ 18.3 billion.

The Federal Government has duly authorized a total of 12 companies to operate in the sector, implementing and operating with their own resources railroads and rail terminals in 13 units of the Federation.

So far, the Ministry of Infrastructure has received 76 applications for the construction and operation of railroads under the authorization, covering 19 thousand kilometers of new private railroads, crossing 16 Units of the Federation, and investments exceeding US$40.1 billion.

The expectation is that 2.6 million direct and indirect jobs will be generated, in addition to reducing the cost of transportation, CO² emissions, and modernizing the national railroad network.