Around Reais 75.7m ($US 14.1m) will be released to the Brazilian Urban Train Company (CBTU) to connect the municipalities of São José de Mipibu and Nísia Floresta. A branch will also be built to connect the North line with the Extremoz and São Gonçalo do Amarante industrial districts. Marinho announced the investment during the opening of a new station in Parnamirim, south of Natal, where he also announced the purchase of a new locomotive. “The main advantage for the population is the extension of the route,” Marinho says. “We will quadruple the number of passengers. We had between 13 and 14 thousand passengers per day, before the pandemic, which we hope will return to normal. With these two new lines, we hope that this will increase four times over, because we will serve the areas that are more densely populated.” For detailed data on rail projects around the world, subscribe to IRJ Pro.