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A mega railway of thousands of kilometers, studied in partnership with China, could cut across Brazil from end to end, cross the Amazon and the Andes, and connect Bahia to the Chinese port of Chancay in the Peruvian Pacific. The project promises to shorten the journey of Brazilian soybeans to Asia, but is still in the study phase.
On July 7, 2025, in Brasília, Brazil and China signed a memorandum of understanding to study the construction of a bioceanic mega railway that could cut across the country from end to end, cross the Amazon and the Andes, and connect the coast of Bahia, in the Atlantic, to the port of Chancay, in the Peruvian Pacific. The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Transport between the Brazilian state company Infra S.A. and the research institute of China State Railway Group, and provides for technical, environmental, and economic studies over five years.
The proposal for this mega railway is to create a corridor that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, reducing the time and cost of transporting Brazilian commodities, such as soybeans, to Asian markets, especially China. It is important to clarify, however, that the entire project is still in the feasibility study phase: nothing has been tendered, and the new international section, which would cross the border to Peru, has not yet started construction nor has a definitive route.
How would the route of the bioceanic mega railway be
The starting point is Porto Sul, in Ilhéus, Bahia, from where the West-East Integration Railway, FIOL, departs, heading to Mara Rosa, in Goiás. This city in Goiás is a strategic junction, as it connects FIOL to the North-South Railway and the Center-West Integration Railway, FICO, whose route advances to Lucas do Rio Verde, in Mato Grosso.
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It is from Lucas do Rio Verde that the entirely new section of the megafreight railway would begin. According to the project under study, the tracks would follow the border of Mato Grosso with Bolivia, cross the entire state of Rondônia and the south of Acre, until reaching Peruvian territory. From there, the railway would cross the Andes to reach the port of Chancay on the Pacific coast. This design takes advantage of part of the network already planned in Brazil and adds the challenging international stretch through the Amazon and the mountain range.
The Chinese port of Chancay at the center of the project
The terminal was built by the Chinese giant Cosco Shipping and symbolically inaugurated in November 2024, becoming one of the largest and most modern ports in Latin America. Its location on the Pacific positions it as a natural gateway for trade between the west coast of South America and Asian markets.
China’s interest in the megafreight railway is directly connected to Chancay. By financing and studying a corridor that takes Brazilian commodities to this port, the Asian country would shorten the route of products such as soy, corn, and iron ore to its ports, without relying on the traditional crossing through the Atlantic and the Panama Canal. For Brazil, it would mean a new outlet to the Pacific, reducing dependence on longer and more congested routes.
How much time the megafreight railway could save
The great logistical attraction of the megafreight railway is the promise of significantly shortening the journey of Brazilian exports to Asia. Circulating estimates suggest that the route to Asian ports could be reduced by about twelve days, by replacing the traditional Atlantic route with a direct exit through the Peruvian Pacific. This would represent significant competitiveness gains for Brazilian agribusiness and mining, with lower freight costs per ton transported.
Caution is needed with these numbers, however. The figures for time reduction, as well as the total investment estimates for the megafreight railway, which range from tens to more than a hundred billion dollars in different projections, still depend on the final route and the results of feasibility studies. As the project is in its initial phase, these values should be treated as preliminary estimates, not as consolidated data, until the technical surveys are completed by the teams from Brazil and China.
The context of South American Integration Routes
The megafreight railway is not an isolated project, but part of a larger strategy by the Brazilian government called South American Integration Routes, conducted by the Ministry of Planning and Budget and launched in 2023. The initiative foresees five routes that connect Brazil to neighboring countries through highways, waterways, railways, ports, and airports, prioritizing works of the New PAC in border areas to strengthen regional integration.
The topic gained momentum in relations between Brazil and China throughout 2025. In May of that year, during an official mission to Beijing led by President Lula and accompanied by the Minister of Planning, Simone Tebet, the Bioceanic Railway was treated as one of Brazil’s priority projects for China, with several memorandums of understanding signed. The signing of the study agreement in July consolidated this interest, placing the megafreight railway at the center of the cooperation agenda between the two countries.
The environmental and technical challenges of the project
Building a megafreight railway that crosses the Amazon and the Andes involves colossal obstacles. From an environmental standpoint, the route would pass through forest areas and sensitive regions, requiring rigorous licensing and in-depth impact studies. Critics of the project warn about the risks of deforestation, ecosystem fragmentation, and impacts on traditional communities and indigenous peoples living in the border regions where the tracks would pass.
From a technical standpoint, crossing the Andes mountain range is an engineering challenge of enormous complexity, requiring tunnels, viaducts, and solutions for large altitude variations. Added to this is the need for coordination among three countries, Brazil, Peru, and, in part of the route, border regions with Bolivia, each with its own legislation and priorities. For all these reasons, the megafreight railway is a long-term project, whose studies have just begun and whose feasibility will still be tested.
What’s at stake for Brazil
Despite the uncertainties, the strategic potential of the megafreight railway is undeniable. If feasible, it could transform the export logistics of the Brazilian Midwest and Northeast, giving the country a direct outlet to the Pacific and reducing its dependence on Atlantic routes. Agribusiness, which has China as its main buyer, would be one of the biggest beneficiaries, with potential cost and time reductions in crop outflow.
At the same time, the project raises legitimate debates about sovereignty, dependence on Chinese financing and technology, and the balance between economic development and environmental protection. The bi-oceanic megafreight railway symbolizes both the opportunities and the dilemmas of deeper integration between South America and Asia, and its future will depend on how Brazil conducts studies, negotiations, and dialogue with society in the coming years.
The megafreight railway that could connect Bahia to the Peruvian Pacific is, at this moment, more of a strategic ambition than a concrete project, but its symbolism is powerful. It represents Brazil’s bet on shortening paths to Asia and repositioning itself on the global logistics map, with China as a central partner. Between the enthusiasm for the economic potential and the necessary caution in the face of environmental, technical, and financial challenges, the project will continue to be closely monitored in the coming years.
Do you believe that this megafreight railway between Brazil and the Pacific will really come to fruition, or will it encounter environmental challenges and billion-dollar costs? Do you think the partnership with China is good for Brazil or does it bring risks? Leave your comment, share your thoughts on this corridor between the Atlantic and the Pacific, and share the article with those who follow logistics, infrastructure, and international trade.
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