BRAZILIAN mining giant Vale announced on September 14 that it has obtained a 10-year operating license from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (Ibama) for a rail link to the new Carajás Serra Sul (S11D) mine in the state of Pará.

BRAZIL’s interim federal government led by president Michel Temer is investigating how to revive the country’s ambitious new line construction programme at a time of financial austerity by involving the country’s concessionaire rail freight operators.

THE governor of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, Mr Geraldo Alckmin, says he wants to privatise six of the nine existing or planned metro and monorail lines serving the city of São Paulo, which represents about 60% of the network.

BRAZIL’s National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) has awarded two consortia contracts to carry out feasibility studies for a commuter rail link running south from the capital Brasilia to Luziânia in the state of Goiás.

THE government of the Brazilian state of São Paulo announced on June 7 that TC-Linha 4 Amarela, a consortium of Comsa and Tiisa Infraestrutura e Investimentos, has been selected to complete the second phase of metro Line 4.

THE mayor of Rio de Janeiro Mr Eduardo Paes inaugurated the first phase of the 28km Porto Maravilha light rail network on June 5.

RIO de Janeiro reached a milestone in its transport preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games on May 23, when the first test train traversed the new metro Line 4.

AFTER five years of sustained growth, the market for new rail equipment in Central and South America is set for a period of decline, according to a new study by SCI Verkehr, Germany.

THE governor of São Paulo state Mr Geraldo Alckmin inaugurated Hyundai Rotem's new Brazilian rolling stock assembly plant at Araraquara on March 30.

BRAZILIAN Urban Trains Company (CBTU) has unveiled proposals to expand the 56.2km diesel-operated light network in Natal, the state capital of Rio Grande do Norte, with the addition of a third line.