BRAZIL's National Development Bank (BNDES) has approved further Reais 6.2bn ($US 2.8bn) in funding for mining giant Vale's plan to increase iron-ore production to 230 million tonnes per year, which includes investment in capacity enhancements on the company's Carajás Railway (EFC).
THE FIRST of 22 LRVs being built by Tremvia Santos, a consortium of TTrans and Vossloh, for the first light rail line in the Brazilian city of Santos began its sea voyage from Spain to Brazil on April 8.
BRAZILIAN railfreight operator MRS Logistics carried a record 151.6 million tonnes of freight in 2013 according to the company's annual results, which show net profits increased by 6.6% year-on-year to Reais 469.4m ($US 202m).
EMTU, which is managing a project to build a 16.9km light rail line linking São Vicente with Santos, Brazil, says that testing of the first LRV will start in June.
BRAZILIAN president Mrs Dilma Rousseff announced on January 17 that the federal government has reached an agreement with the state of Minas Gerais and the municipality of Belo Horizonte to invest Reais 2bn ($US 853m) in the expansion of the city's metro network.
BRAZIL's largest railfreight operator Latin American Logistics (ALL) and Rumo Logistics, a subsidiary of Cosan Group which specialises in the transport of ethanol and sugar, have announced plans to merge.
VLI, the railfreight subsidiary of Brazilian mining giant Vale, is to acquire an additional 306 wagons from Amsted Maxion for use on Brazil's North-South Railway.
MOBILIDADE Anhanguera, a consortium of Odebrecht Transport (90%) and Brazilian bus operators (10%), has been selected as preferred bidder for the 35-year PPP concession to build and operate the first light rail line in the Brazilian city of Goiânia.
The municipality of São José dos Campos, northeast of São Paulo, announced on November 24 that it is cancelling the construction of its proposed 15km light rail line in favour of a bus rapid transit (BRT) system.
BRAZILIAN railfreight operator MRS Logistics has announced third quarter volumes increased 17.6% year-on-year to a record 42.9 million tonnes, largely thanks to increasing iron-ore traffic.