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BYD put into operation in São Paulo, at the end of March 2026, the SkyRail electric monorail of Line 17-Gold, a R$ 5.8 billion project that connects Morumbi to Congonhas Airport. The line uses automated, driverless trains with onboard batteries and a capacity for up to 616 passengers per trip.
On March 31, 2026, Tuesday, the State Government of São Paulo officially inaugurated the Line 17-Gold of the Metro, a project delivered by BYD and operated by ViaMobilidade, which is part of the Motiva group. The ceremony began at the Congonhas Airport station and marked the debut of the Chinese company in the railway sector outside China, with the SkyRail electric monorail covering 6.7 kilometers between Morumbi and the airport, in one of the busiest regions of the São Paulo capital. The total cost of the enterprise was R$ 5.8 billion and the initial operation, in assisted phase, runs from 10 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday, with seven of the eight stations in operation.
The delivery was conducted alongside state authorities, executives, and industry representatives, in a symbolic journey aboard a SkyRail system train. The project, originally planned for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, was stalled for more than a decade until BYD took over the technological operation and supply of the trains. When in full operation, scheduled for October 2026, Line 17-Gold is expected to serve about 100,000 passengers per day, with integration to Line 9-Emerald at Morumbi station and Line 5-Lilac at Campo Belo station, changing the commuting logic of the South Zone of the city.
How the SkyRail monorail by BYD works on Line 17-Gold
The SkyRail is an elevated monorail technology, where the train runs on a single concrete beam with rubber tires that wrap around the structure, instead of the conventional steel tracks used in traditional metros. This design allows for sharper curves, reduces vibration, decreases urban noise, and occupies less road space. In a city like São Paulo, where the land is almost entirely occupied, the elevated monorail emerges as a lower-impact solution for medium and high-capacity corridors.
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Another technical differential of BYD is the hybrid energy system. The main power supply comes from the third and fourth rails energized at 750 volts in direct current, but the trains are equipped with onboard Blade batteries, which allow them to continue operating for up to 8 kilometers in case of a network supply failure. According to BYD, this autonomy is sufficient for any train to complete the journey to the next station safely, without leaving passengers stranded in electrical emergency situations. Recharging occurs during normal operation and also takes advantage of energy generated during regenerative braking.
Automated trains and driverless operation onboard
The Line 17-Gold system operates with full automation, the standard known as UTO, with communication-based control called CBTC. In practice, this means that the trains do not have a human driver in the cabin. They depart, accelerate, brake, and stop at stations under integrated command from an operations center, in a format similar to that adopted in other modern lines, such as the Line 4-Yellow of the São Paulo metro. Employees monitor the entire process in real-time through dedicated monitors and software.
Automation contributes to regularity of intervals, reduction of human errors, and fine-tuning of operation according to demand. During peak hours, more trains can be automatically put into circulation; during off-peak hours, the system reduces frequency to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. This level of automation is considered one of the strengths of the project and helps BYD position Line 17-Gold as a technological reference for electric monorails in the Americas, in a sector where China is currently one of the global leaders.
Why BYD chose São Paulo as a showcase outside China
Line 17-Gold is BYD’s first railway project operating outside Chinese territory, according to the company itself. This international debut was not chosen by chance. São Paulo has the largest metro-rail network in Brazil, receives daily flows of millions of passengers, and has proven demand for medium-capacity modes that relieve pressure on the traditional metro. BYD’s presence in the city also connects with its already consolidated strategy in other segments, such as electric vehicles, buses, and batteries for stationary systems.
For the company, having a project in operation in a metropolis of this size serves as a business card for future bids in other countries in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, regions with growing demand for electric urban mobility. In parallel, BYD reinforces the narrative that it is a global provider of electrification solutions, not just an automobile manufacturer. The integration of various brand products in a single urban transport project is a central part of this strategy.
The impact of the Gold Line 17 on the routine of those who use Congonhas
The integration between Congonhas Airport, the Lilac Line 5 of the subway, and the Emerald Line 9 of the metropolitan trains is the main asset of the new line. Previously, passengers arriving or departing from Congonhas relied exclusively on buses, private cars, or ride-sharing apps to connect to the public transport network. With BYD’s debut on this route, it is now possible to disembark and head directly to different regions of the city by rail, with predictable travel times and no traffic.
This type of connection is considered a significant advancement for major capitals with central airports. In other cities worldwide, similar solutions are already standard, but in São Paulo, the historical delay of the project, originally planned for 2014, meant that this integration took over a decade to materialize. When operating at full capacity, the Gold Line 17 is expected to serve up to 100,000 passengers per day, a number that places the monorail among the significant rail transport corridors of the São Paulo Metropolitan Region.
The numbers of the R$ 5.8 billion project in São Paulo
The total cost of the project, considering civil works, systems, and rolling stock, was around R$ 5.8 billion. The fleet consists of 14 trains of Fleet N, supplied by BYD, each with five cars, an approximate weight of 54 tons, and a capacity to carry up to 616 passengers per trip. By the inauguration, 11 of these compositions had already been delivered to the Água Espraiada Yard, with 8 units commissioned and ready to operate on the branch.
The initial operation is assisted, with two trains running on separate tracks between Morumbi and Congonhas Airport, from 10 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday. The Washington Luís station, the eighth on the branch, remains closed and is expected to open in the following months, with full operation scheduled for October 2026. When this schedule is fulfilled, the Gold Line 17 should operate with reduced intervals between trains, expanding the number of daily trips and meeting the peak demand of the Morumbi region, the business hubs of the southern zone, and Congonhas Airport.
What the project means for the electric mobility market in Brazil
BYD’s entry into a project of this magnitude has implications beyond the Gold Line 17. Operating an electric monorail in São Paulo positions the company as a local reference in medium-capacity rail systems, paving the way to participate in tenders in other Brazilian cities considering similar solutions, such as Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Brasília, Recife, and the expansion of the São Paulo network itself. The rail transport sector in the country is historically dominated by European and Japanese suppliers, making BYD’s debut an important competitive move.
In parallel, the operation reinforces the thesis that electric vehicles are not limited to private cars. The same brand that pressures the Brazilian automotive market with imported models and local production in Camaçari, Bahia, now presents itself as a provider of large-scale collective solutions, connecting its batteries to systems that move tens of thousands of passengers per day. This convergence helps position the company’s name as a protagonist in the energy transition applied to urban transport in Brazil.
The inauguration of the Line 17-Gold represents, at the same time, the end of a saga of more than a decade and the beginning of a new phase for urban rail mobility in São Paulo. For BYD, it is a global showcase; for the passenger, a concrete alternative for commuting between Morumbi and Congonhas Airport. Success will depend on the regularity of the service, the expansion to the Washington Luís station, and the fulfillment of the operation schedule planned for October 2026.
Would you use the Line 17-Gold by BYD in São Paulo on your next flight via Congonhas, or do you prefer to keep the route by car or app? Do you think this entry of the Chinese company into the Brazilian railway sector will pressure traditional suppliers? Leave your comment, share your experience with public transport in SP, and share the article with those who follow urban mobility and electric energy.
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