Brazil advances major railway expansion and revitalization plans

The Brazilian government and regional authorities are pursuing major railway expansion and revitalization projects. In the Distrito Federal, a plan has been developed to implement 119.7 kilometers of new rail lines and 114 stations. This R$ 29.2 billion investment over ten years includes the Metro-DF Line 2, which would span 79.8 kilometers, and two Light Rail Vehicle (VLT) lines. The expansion aims to nearly quadruple the current network and accommodate over 500,000 passengers daily.

On a national level, the Ministry of Transport has introduced a new public call model to revitalize approximately 10,000 kilometers of idle, underutilized, or deactivated railways. Through authorization contracts lasting up to 99 years, the private sector will be invited to operate these segments. The initiative seeks to address significant capacity issues, such as those seen in the Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica (FCA), where over 2,700 kilometers were reported as idle or undergoing decommissioning in 2024.