Central & South America
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NewsRebuilt Ferrocarril Central inaugurated
Photos: Marcelo Benoit URUGUAY: The modernised Ferrocarril Central railway linking Montevideo with Paso de los Toros was formally inaugurated with a ceremony on April 16. The ribbon cutting at Cardal station, 76 km north of the capital, was attended by Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle, Transport Minister ...
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NewsETCS delays hinder Uruguayan rail revival
URUGUAY: A number of problems have been preventing the operation of passenger and freight services, with some not expected to be resolved until a new government is formed in March 2025. The railway union is negotiating with the transport ministry for a reorganisation of national railway ...
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NewsLogistics company orders locos to enter Uruguayan rail market
URUGUAY: Logistics company Grupo RAS has ordered three Wabtec C23EMP diesel locomotives to support its plans to enter the Uruguayan railway market. Wabtec will manufacture the locomotives at its Contagem plant in Brazil for delivery by late 2025. The C23EMP is designed for low axleload operations, ...
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NewsSão Paulo – Campinas inter-city train project awarded
BRAZIL: A Chinese-backed consortium has won the bidding auction to introduce inter-city passenger services linking São Paulo with Campinas.
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NewsFirst rails laid on Vicente Emilio Vuolo Railway
BRAZIL: The first 3 km of track has been laid near Rondonópolis in Mato Grosso state on the 743 km Senador Vicente Emilio Vuolo Railway that will eventually link the south of the state with the capital Cuiabá, Nova Mutum and Lucas do Rio Verde. Being ...
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NewsMRS Logística orders Wabtec locomotives
BRAZIL: MRS Logística has ordered 30 Wabtec ES44ACi Evolution Series diesel locomotives as part of its fleet renewal strategy. The deal announced on February 21 is valued at around R$500m, with the first deliveries scheduled for this year. Features will include lower emissions than the predecessor ...
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Metro Report InternationalFunding agreed for Curitiba light rail studies
BRAZIL: Federal development bank BNDES has agreed to fund studies for a 22·8 km light rail line linking Centro Cívico in Curitiba with Afonso Pena International Airport in neighbouring São José dos Pinhais. A contract for BNDES to provide R$12·5m to fund the technical-operational, economic, legal, ...
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NewsCRRC electro-diesel multiple-units enter service in Chile
CHILE: The six four-car electro-diesel multiple-units that CRRC Sifang supplied for regional operator EFE Central have entered revenue services on the Santiago Estación Central – Curicó route. A ceremony on January 19 has been attended by Minister Secretary General of the Government, Camila Vallejo, Minister of ...
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Metro Report InternationalSalvador seeks tram network to replace aborted monorail scheme
BRAZIL: The state government of Bahia has approved the call of tenders for the construction of a three-line light rail network in Salvador totalling 36 km at an estimated cost of R$3·6bn. The first 16·6 km line would link Calçada in the centre of the conurbation ...
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NewsCo-operation to promote sustainable transport in Europe and Latin America
INTERNATIONAL: Spanish government-owned engineering consultancy Ineco and Latin America and Caribbean development bank CAF have signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of establishing a framework to share knowledge and promote the competitiveness of the transport sector. This includes an emphasis on the railway sector ...
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Metro Report InternationalPeru’s first underground metro line opens
PERU: The first section of Lima metro Line 2 has been opened by President Dina Boluarte and Minister of Transport & Communications Raúl Pérez Reyes. Phase 1a, which opened on December 21, runs 5 km entirely underground from Evitamiento to Mercado Santa Anita with five stations. ...
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In depthBrazil: São Paulo stands out in uneven picture
Metro, monorail and suburban rail extensions totalling 39km are now being built in São Paulo, but several of the other fastest-growing Brazilian cities, including Rio de Janeiro, have no major projects currently under way, despite optimism among suppliers. Benjámin Zelki reports.
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In depthBrazil: National Railway Plan will reset project agenda
Government efforts to inject fresh impetus into the rail business and increase its share of the freight market continue, but reliance is being placed on the private sector to fund new projects. Murray Hughes reports.
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NewsCórdoba regional train service expanded
ARGENTINA: Tren de las Sierras regional services in the northern city of Córdoba have been expanded to serve Capilla del Monte, following the completion of renovation work on a 34 km section of the metre-gauge line from Valle Hermoso. Work to rebuild the single-track route included ...
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Metro Report InternationalAlstom invests in Brazil amid strong outlook for South American metro sector
BRAZIL: Alstom is about to start producing metro trainsets for São Paulo Line 6 at its Taubaté factory as the company invests to support growing rail markets in South America.
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Metro Report InternationalSantiago metro extension enhances local amenities
CHILE: President Gabriel Boric has inaugurated a 5·2 km extension of Santiago metro Line 2. The four-station section at the south end of the route takes Line 2 from La Cisterna to Hospital El Pino, and it has been built at a cost of US$409·2m. Opened ...
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Metro Report InternationalSão Paulo light rail plan to be studied
BRAZIL: São Paulo municipality is working on a plan to build two circular light rail lines totalling 12 km in the centre of the city. Brazil’s Minister of Cities Jader Barbalho Filho announced at the COP28 UN Climate Summit in Dubai on December 1 that, following ...
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Metro Report InternationalHigh altitude underground metro fully opens
ECUADOR: Full revenue services on the Quito metro finally began on December 1, with local residents cutting ribbons to officially open each of the 15 stations. Mayor Pabel Muñoz reported that 273 000 people travelled on the metro in the first three days, and called on ...
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NewsCRRC wins Argentina DMU order
ARGENTINA: China’s CRRC has announced what it says is the largest diesel multiple-unit order in Argentina’s history, covering the supply of 50 trainsets. The order announced by CRRC on November 13 includes 25 broad gauge DMUs, 15 metre-gauge trainsets and 10 standard-gauge trains. ...
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NewsTrack and signalling renewals completed at Buenos Aires hub
ARGENTINA: The complex rebuilding of the Mitre suburban railway’s Retiro terminus in Buenos Aires was completed on November 6. This was marked by the restoration of services on the Bartolomé Mitre branch from the station. The station has seen the platform tracks and approaches renovated ...