We are launching a new series of publications in the "Historical Chronicles" section — on the history of the establishment and development of railways in the BRICS countries. The first issue covers the development of railway transport in Brazil.
The history of railway transport in Brazil dates back to 1835, when Decree No. 101 was issued by the Regent of the Brazilian Empire, Diogo Antônio Feijó, on the construction of the first railway. It was intended to connect the provinces of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Bahia, São Paulo, and Rio Grande, with the main station to be located in the "neutral municipality" of Rio de Janeiro, which was administratively separate from the province of the same name.
Despite the privileges promised under Decree No. 101 for 40 years to any company undertaking the construction, no investor — including foreign ones — was willing to take on the project, as there were no guarantees that the railway would be profitable. As a result, construction never began.
Many years passed before Law No. 641 was adopted in Brazil on 26 July 1852. It permitted land concessions for a period of 90 years for the construction of railways, with various privileges including a guaranteed return of 5% per annum on capital, as well as a land strip 30 km wide on both sides of the railway. However, interest in the construction of Brazilian railways only grew after the interest rate was raised from 5% to 12%, primarily among English investors, who were the main driving force in transport construction at the time.
Shortly before the adoption of Law No. 641, the banker Irineu Evangelista de Sousa had requested permission to construct a railway connecting the port of Mauá in Guanabara Bay with Raiz da Serra.
The grand opening of the first railway in Brazil — with a gauge of 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) and a length of 14.5 km — took place on 30 April 1854 in the presence of Emperor Pedro II. On the same day, de Sousa was awarded the title of Baron of Mauá. His company, Imperial Companhia de Navegação a Vapor – Estrada de Ferro Petrópolis ("Imperial Steam Navigation Company – Petrópolis Railway"), carried out the first freight transport operation in Brazil, delivering cargo from the ship Praça XV to Raiz da Serra. The railway operated three steam locomotives manufactured in England by William Fairbairn & Sons, the most famous of which is the Baronesa.
The first Brazilian locomotive, the Baronesa, is now on display at the Museu do Trem in Rio de Janeiro. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
However, the Mauá Railway was of primarily political and symbolic value. Meanwhile, on 8 February 1858, the first section of the Recife and São Francisco Railway — running 31 km between Cinco Pontas in Recife and the township of Cabo — was opened for regular service in the northeast of the country. This second railway in Brazil's history was operated by a British company. Due to numerous difficulties, construction was not fully completed until 1862.
Due to numerous difficulties, construction was not fully completed until 1862.
Tourist train through the jungle in Curitiba, en route to Morretes. (Photo: 123Rf/Legion-Media)
The third railway in the country was a 47-kilometre section between the stations of Côrte and Aclamação (Rio de Janeiro), built by the Companhia Estrada de Ferro D. Pedro II ("Pedro II Railway Company") and opened on 29 March 1858. The first director of the railway was the distinguished Brazilian engineer, professor of mathematics, and statesman Cristiano Benedito Ottoni (1811–1896).
In 1877, this railway — with a gauge of 1,600 mm (known as the "Irish gauge") — became one of the principal main lines connecting Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, when the Pedro II Railway merged with the São Paulo Railway, which had been built in 1867 in the state of the same name to link the coffee plantations with the port of Santos. It was at this time that dining cars and sleeping cars made their first appearance in the country. Later, following the proclamation of the republic, the Pedro II Railway was renamed Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil ("Central Railway of Brazil").
Railway station in the jungle in Southern Brazil. (Photo: 123Rf/Legion-Media)
By the end of 1889, when the republic was proclaimed, Brazil already had 9,583 km of railways in operation, serving 14 of its 20 provinces. Although Cristiano Benedito Ottoni, in his capacity as a senator, advocated for the unification of the national railway network through the adoption of a standard gauge of 1,600 mm — with the aim of effectively integrating the entire national territory — the proponents of the 1,000 mm gauge prevailed, as it was used on the majority of Brazil's local and regional railways.
Station in Cruzeiro, Minas e Rio Railway, 1,000 mm gauge, 1885. (Source: Pedro Karp. Nos trilhos do progresso: A ferrovia no Brasil imperial vista pela fotografia. São Paulo: Metalivros, 2007. Photo: Marc Ferrez)
The reason was that the construction costs for broad-gauge railways were higher. Furthermore, the narrow gauge allowed for tighter curves, which was a significant advantage at the time. Most new sections served the specific interests of coffee and sugarcane producers seeking to transport their goods to the ports, with little regard for the public interest. The "railway fever" that began in 1872 in the province of São Paulo, organized by the local "coffee barons," gained worldwide renown.
In 1907, the process of leasing Brazil's State Railways began. President Campos Sales stated at the time: "Our many years of experience have shown that there is no point in keeping railways under State management. Transferring them to private hands and stimulating their development not only saves national resources but also brings greater benefit to both trade and industry."
Luz Railway Station in São Paulo, 1900s. (Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo: Guilherme Gaensly)
During the "Old Republic" era, the railway network expanded significantly, reaching 29,000 km of lines by 1930.
The greatest expansion occurred in the state of São Paulo, where at the peak of its development there were 18 railways, the largest of which were E.F. Sorocabana (2,074 km), Mogiana (1,954 km), E.F. Noroeste do Brasil (1,539 km), Cia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro (1,536 km), and the aforementioned São Paulo Railway. Together, they contributed to the growth of agriculture and industry in the state.
In addition to the railways in the state of São Paulo, other important railways were built during this period, including the Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas in 1903 and the notorious Madeira–Mamoré line in 1912.
The latter is often referred to as the "Devil's Railway," as a large number of workers perished during its construction during the "rubber boom" era — including many from malaria — with official figures citing 6,000 deaths and unofficial estimates reaching approximately 30,000. Following the completion of the Trans-Amazonian Highway in 1972, this railway line was abandoned.
A government commission inspects a section of the Madeira–Mamoré Railway, 1910. (Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo: Dana B. Merrill)
In 1926, the first electric locomotives appeared in Brazil. Supplied by the English firm Vickers, they were rated at 1,500 V and designed to operate on 1,000 mm gauge track.
Following the fall of the "Old Republic" in the Revolution of 1930 and the rise to power of Getúlio Vargas — whose first presidential term was characterized by policies similar to the "New Deal" of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt — highway development became a priority, while railways, which had previously played a key role in the national economy, were pushed to the margins.
Christmas train. (Photo: Zuma / TASS)
Nevertheless, it was during the "Vargas Era" (1930–1945) that the process of railway reorganization in the country began, including the granting of various privileges and the nationalization — primarily of those railways controlled by foreign companies. From 1938 onwards, diesel locomotives began to replace steam traction; to this day, diesel traction remains the predominant form of locomotive operation in the country.
An interesting episode in the post-war history of Brazilian railways is the acquisition of electric locomotives manufactured by the American company General Electric, designated in Brazil as Paulista 451.
Originally, these electric locomotives — the most powerful in the world at the time (4,320 kW) — were intended for operation in the Soviet Union, on the South Ural Railway. However, in 1949, due to the deterioration of relations between the United States and the USSR, the majority of the completed locomotives were retained in the United States, while the remaining five units were regauged to 1,600 mm and sold to the Brazilian company Paulista. Nicknamed "Russas" ("the Russians"), they remained in service until December 1999.
DC electric locomotive GE-750 (Paulista 451). (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Although 1958 marked the historical peak of the Brazilian railway network — when it reached nearly 38,000 km — alarming trends had already been emerging in the sector since 1945, with the majority of railways running at a deficit. In the 1950s, the government commissioned a study into the state of the railways, whose debt as of 1956 accounted for 14% of the country's total national debt.
Restored vintage rolling stock (FEPASA) at the railway museum at Paula Souza Station in Sorocaba, state of São Paulo. (Photo: Zuma / TASS)
As a result, on 30 September 1957, the federal joint-stock company Rede Ferroviária Federal, Sociedade Anônima (RFFSA) was established, consolidating 18 (later 19) railways with a combined operational length of over 30,000 km. The purpose of the new company was to standardize the railways, reduce debt, and modernize the network.
Another major State Railway — Ferrovia Paulista S/A (FEPASA) — was established in 1971 by the government of the state of São Paulo, consolidating five railways already under State ownership. The initial total length of track was nearly 5,000 km, covering almost the entire territory of the state.
Presentation of a new diesel train manufactured by the Hungarian company Ganz-Mávag at Luz Station in São Paulo, 1970. (Source: guriny.livejournal.com)
Meanwhile, in 1959, President Juscelino Kubitschek launched a broad expansion of the automotive industry in Brazil, backed by significant State support for highway construction (through various tax incentives and support funds). This led to a shift of freight (primarily coffee) and passengers to road transport. Following this trend, various national enterprises began locating along highways for logistical reasons. Iron ore became the principal freight commodity on the Brazilian railway network.
Disused railway tracks near Rio de Janeiro. (Photo: Zuma / TASS)
The problems of the railways were compounded by the economic and political crisis that erupted in Brazil in the 1970s, as a result of which RFFSA lost the bulk of its funding. Consequently, a significant portion of the network soon fell into disrepair, and the railways — which had previously been the most efficient mode of transport — lost a share of their market. From 1984, passenger services were separated from RFFSA and transferred to the Brazilian Urban Transport Company, established under Decree No. 89,396. This political act marked the beginning of the gradual elimination of regional railway passenger services. By the end of the 1980s, RFFSA's budget stood at just 19% of its late-1970s levels.
Barreiro Railway Station, state of Setúbal. (Photo: Zuma / TASS)
On 10 March 1992, RFFSA was included in the denationalization program of President Fernando Collor de Mello, launched as part of his radical economic reforms. As a result, RFFSA was privatized and broken up in 1996, with FEPASA following in 1997. By that time, the total length of the railway network in the country had fallen to 30,000 km, including 13,000 km of inactive sections. The majority of passenger services had also ceased. Only the Trem de Prata line connecting Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo survived for one more year before being discontinued in 1998. Following this, flights — operating every 10 minutes — became the primary means of public transport between Brazil's two largest cities.
A Big Ben-style clock tower, built by English engineers at the once-major station of Paranapiacaba — now lost in the jungle — serves as a reminder of the golden age of Brazilian railways. (Source: dailymail.co.uk. Photo: Ana Paula Silva Santos)
At present, Brazil's railway network is used almost exclusively for freight; the overhead line equipment intended for long-distance passenger trains on the 1,600 mm gauge in the state of São Paulo has been fully dismantled. Many double-track lines now operate as single-track (with the second track mothballed), and trains operate at very low speeds.
With the exception of urban services in major agglomerations, passenger services have survived only on a number of heritage railways. There are also two long-distance passenger routes on 1,000 mm gauge, operated by the mining company Vale, used primarily by tourists owing to the scenic landscapes along the routes.
Passengers at a station, state of São Paulo. (Photo: Zuma / TASS)
At the same time, over the past decade and a half, the decline in the total length of Brazil's railway network has come to a halt. The country currently has 22,500 km of meter-gauge lines, 7,400 km of 1,600 mm gauge lines, and 500 km of mixed-gauge track (1,600 mm and 1,000 mm). Standard gauge (1,435 mm) is present only on the Amapá ore railway — a 194 km line that has been inactive since 2014 — and on Lines 4 and 5 of the São Paulo Metro. There is also a 13 km tourist line with a gauge of 762 mm, which is a remnant of what was once an extensive narrow-gauge network stretching 775 km, dismantled between 1960 and 1983.
Heavy-haul train carrying iron ore on 1,000 mm gauge track. (Source: RailPictures.net. Photo: Nicolas Fagundes)
The largest railway project of the 21st century in Brazil is the Transnordestina (North-Eastern Railway) main line, whose principal freight commodities will be coal, gypsum, and iron ore. Design work began in 2002 and construction in 2006. A gauge of 1,600 mm was selected (with mixed gauge laid on certain sections). The line originates in the vicinity of the town of Eliseu Martins (state of Piauí) and runs westward to the town of Salgueiro (587 km), where it splits into two branches — one running westward to the port of Suape near the city of Recife (544 km) and the other running northward to the port of Pecém near the city of Fortaleza (665 km). Construction is expected to be completed in 2026.
Modernization of railway infrastructure in Marília, state of São Paulo. Work is underway on the former FEPASA line, which forms part of the Panorama–Bauru branch. (Photo: Zuma / TASS)
Recent performance results for Brazil's railways are encouraging. In 2023, freight volumes reached their highest level in five years — according to data from the National Association of Railway Operators (ANTF), 530.6 million tons of freight were transported by rail, representing a 64% increase in rail freight volumes in the country between 2006 and 2023.
In 2024, a political lobbying group was established in Brazil with the primary objective of advancing railway transport, including the renewal of rolling stock and its digitalization.
Sorocaba Station in the São Paulo agglomeration. (Photo: Zuma / TASS)
Plans are in place to restore passenger rail connections between the major cities of São Paulo and Campinas, with new infrastructure to be built along the route. The project has been awarded to the Brazilian-Chinese consortium C2 Mobilidade Sobre Trilhos, with construction set to begin in June 2026. Further initiatives aimed at reviving and expanding passenger rail services across the country remain on the table.
Passenger flow at Luz Railway Station — serving suburban rail and metro lines — in São Paulo, Brazil. (Photo: Zuma / TASS)
Brazil
Total length of electrified railway lines: 500 km
· Area: 8.5 million km²
- Railway network length as of early 2023: 30,800 km
- Electrified railway lines: 500 km
Prospective transport projects on Brazil's railway network
- Construction of the West–East railway line, 1,500 km in length. Investment: USD 1.4 billion.
- Construction of railway track between Eliseu Martins and Estreito, 400 km in length.
- Construction of the Mara Rosa – Água Boa – Lucas do Rio Verde railway line, 800 km in length. Investment: USD 1.2 billion.
- Construction of the Sinop – Itaituba railway line, 1,100 km in length. Investment: USD 2.8 billion.
- Construction of the Porto Franco – Eliseu Martins railway line, 600 km in length.
- Construction of a second track on the Carajás railway line, 600 km in length.
A joint project of 1520International and the Institute for Economics and Transport Development (IETD)
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