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What Happened to Brazilian Railways?
Around 1960, the tracks of Brazilian railways reached their peak, with thousands of kilometers spread across the country. It seemed that trains would dominate the future of national transportation, but believe it or not, the fate of our railways resembles more of an action movie without a happy ending. Today, about one-third of the railway network is practically abandoned. But what actually happened to Brazilian railways?
The Stagnation of Brazilian Railways
Brazil, with its 8.5 million square kilometers, faces the constant challenge of maintaining an adequate railway network. The Brazilian railways, which could be the solution for transporting large loads and aiding urban mobility, have been neglected. Despite their efficiency and lower environmental impact, today, less than a quarter of national production is transported by rail. Most railways are corroded by time and lack proper maintenance, mainly because the focus has always been on highways.
The lack of continuous investment has caused the country to rely heavily on road transport, a more expensive and polluting alternative. To give you an idea, the passenger railway system is almost non-existent outside major cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and even in these regions, train lines are far from meeting the demand. With only 21.5% of national transport carried out by railways, the outdated infrastructure and overcrowded trains during peak hours illustrate the situation well.
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Peru plans to build, with Chinese technology and capital, what is intended to be the fastest train in South America, a high-speed line between Lima and Ica at up to 200 km/h, but the $6.5 billion project is only expected to be completed around 2032.
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China modernizes the oldest metro line in Mexico City, taking on the renovation of 18.83 km, 20 stations, new trains, signaling, and maintenance for 19 years in one of the most crowded systems in Latin America.
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São Paulo purchased 44 Chinese trains for R$ 3.1 billion and deployed them on the Blue, Green, and Red metro lines, accelerated the expansion of the Green Line 2, and made CRRC a central piece in the largest railway renovation in the capital in decades.
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The Union will invest R$ 3.6 billion to revive the Malha Oeste, a 1,625 km abandoned railway that connects Corumbá to São Paulo, in a concession project recently approved by ANTT that promises to reconnect the Midwest to the Port of Santos and the borders with Bolivia and Paraguay.
The Decline and Abandonment of Brazilian Railways
Brazil experienced its golden age of railways until the 1950s, when the country’s railway network reached approximately 30,000 kilometers in length. However, starting in 1960, the government and investors began to shift focus. Industrialization, driven by the expansion of highways, made trains less profitable. While the road sector grew rapidly, the railway sector stagnated. Today, part of the Brazilian railways remains idle, and the lack of an efficient integration policy between transport modalities only worsens the problem.
Dependence on road transport brings both economic and environmental losses. With only 12% of highways paved, Brazil faces constant congestion and high maintenance costs. While railway transport can be up to 20% cheaper for long distances, the country still bets on highways for the transportation of production.
Why Don’t They Advance?
The lack of progress in Brazilian railways is directly linked to the lack of investment. While countries like Russia use trains to transport up to 88% of their goods, Brazil barely manages to reach 25%. The railway network has not expanded significantly since the government of Juscelino Kubitschek, who prioritized highway construction and the development of the automobile industry.
Despite this, in recent years, the railway transport of cargo has shown signs of growth, driven by the export of soybeans and iron ore. In 2016, railway transport reached a record of 503 million tons carried, representing an increase of nearly 30% compared to the previous decade. However, this growth is still not enough to transform Brazil into a country with an efficient railway network.
The Future of Brazilian Railways
For Brazilian railways to regain prominence, massive investment in infrastructure is necessary, especially in modernizing and electrifying the tracks. Integration between road and rail modalities is essential to ensure that the transportation of cargo and passengers becomes more efficient. The use of rail can help reduce carbon emissions, decrease congestion, and improve Brazil’s competitiveness in the global market.
So, can the tracks save Brazil? The answer may lie in the coming years as the country decides whether to continue prioritizing highways or finally give a second chance to its forgotten railways.
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