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A Railway Under Construction in the Northeast Advances with Active Fronts in Different Sections and Operation Tests Already Registered, While the Government Details Extension, Investments and Municipalities Along the Route Until the Planned Connection Between the Producing Interior and the Port of Pecém.
Transnordestina Advances with 80% Completion in Phase 1 and Official Deadline Until 2027
The Transnordestina Railway, under construction in the Northeast, is 80% complete in phase 1 and is expected to be delivered by 2027, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The main route totals 1,206 kilometers and is expected to cross 53 municipalities in three states, linking the interior to the Port of Pecém in Ceará.
The project has a reported budget of R$ 14.9 billion, with R$ 11.3 billion already executed, according to the federal government.
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The Ministry of Transport also states that 727 kilometers of the main line have been completed and that 326 kilometers remain under construction, in addition to 73 kilometers planned for secondary branches.
In a statement released by the ministry, the Minister of Transport, Renan Filho, classified the Transnordestina as the largest infrastructure project in the Northeast and stated that the government’s guidance is to complete the work.
“We will finish this project. This is President Lula’s determination,” said the minister, according to the official record.
Works in Ceará: Inspected Sections and Municipalities Crossed by the Railway
The work fronts are distributed across different lots, with sections underway in Ceará identified by the government as a relevant part of the railway connection between Piauí and the Ceará coast.
At the end of January, the national secretary of Rail Transport, Leonardo Ribeiro, inspected a segment of 97 kilometers associated with lots 9 and 10, according to the Ministry of Transport.
This segment passes through the municipalities of Baturité, Aracoiaba, Redenção, Acarape, Guaiúba, Palmácia, Maranguape, and Caucaia in Ceará, according to the ministry.
In the same communication, the ministry reported the release of R$ 2 billion under the New PAC for the Ceará section.
Commenting on the progress, Leonardo Ribeiro stated that the railway is expected to increase efficiency in cargo transport and contribute to reducing emissions in the sector, according to the government’s assessment.
During the visit, the Governor of Ceará, Elmano de Freitas, was also mentioned in the official announcement relating the project to the state’s logistics and access to the Port of Pecém.
Transnordestina Route: Eliseu Martins, Port of Pecém, and 53 Municipalities
The Ministry of Transport informs that the Transnordestina will link Eliseu Martins (PI) to the Port of Pecém (CE).
According to the details released, the railway corridor impacts 53 municipalities along the planned route.
By state breakdown, the government indicates 28 municipalities in Ceará, 18 in Piauí, and 7 in Pernambuco.
The ministry also reports that 608 kilometers of the main route are located in Ceará, within the design presented for phase 1.
Although the project is frequently described as “1,200 km,” the technical number used in official communications is 1,206 kilometers on the main line, in addition to the previously mentioned secondary branches.
This difference results from common rounding in general calls and descriptions.
Operation Tests: Corn, Sorghum, and Ibama License
Even with the work still in progress, completed sections have begun to receive operational tests, according to federal government agencies.
The Ministry of Integration and Regional Development reported that on December 17, 2025, a test trip took place on the 585 kilometers stretch between Bela Vista do Piauí (PI) and Iguatu (CE), with a composition intended to transport corn and carry out loading, unloading, and operational procedures.
In the same announcement, the ministry noted that Ibama issued an Operating License on December 11, 2025, which allowed the transportation of goods on the railway network.
The concessionaire Transnordestina Logística S.A. (TLSA), mentioned in the text, stated that the start of the so-called commissioned operation would be defined in conjunction with governments.
The Ministry of Transport reported, at the end of January, a new operational test with 946.12 tons of sorghum to the logistics terminal in Iguatu.
According to the ministry, the composition left an intermodal terminal in Piauí and completed the journey in 16 hours and 34 minutes, with plans to diversify loads in subsequent tests, according to the official record.
Cargo Transport and Logistics Terminals Along the Route
The Transnordestina is focused on cargo transport, as described in government communications.
Among the products mentioned in official notes are grains, cotton, ores, gypsum, and containers, with the caveat that commercial operation depends on the physical progress of the works and the associated authorizations and operational stages.
The Ministry of Integration and Regional Development also mentioned TLSA’s intention to install six to eight logistics terminals along the route, including structures planned in municipalities in Piauí, Pernambuco, and Ceará, in addition to the Port of Pecém.
The same communication pointed out the expected participation of the private sector in terminals and logistics integration models.
In another communication, the Ministry of Transport related the project to the connection between producing regions and an export corridor via Pecém, citing the Matopiba axis as a reference area served by the planned route.
According to the ministry, the official expectation is that the railway will expand the drainage capacity and logistical integration in the region, according to the strategy presented by the government.
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