Speaking at a seminar at the University of São Paulo on August 7, Valec president Mr José Eduardo Castello Branco said one of the first demands of Valec and its future network management company would be the certification of rolling stock and train crews.

As IRJ reported in June, open-access will be implemented not only on four new lines in the south the country, but on existing lines including the North-South Railway, and Vale's Carajás Railway. "This means a Latin American Logistics (ALL) soya train can travel from Mato Grosso to the port of Itaqui via the Carajás line," Branco explains.

Concessionaires building new lines will be able to apply for paths, but Valec will also sell capacity on the open market. The aim is to ensure both that available capacity is used, and that all operators and their customers have fair access to infrastructure.

Branco cites the East-West Integration Railway in Bahia state as an example of why open-access is needed. "The railway serves a mining area capable of generating 100 million tonnes of iron ore per year," he explains. "It also serves a soya producing region near the border with Tocatins state. If we don't make open-access public policy, the entire capacity of the railway would be in the hands of the mining company. The government should guarantee soya producers in this region access to international markets via the railway."