A CONSORTIUM of CR Almeida, Santa Bárbara Construções, CAF Brasil, MagnaEngenharia and Astep Engenharia had been selected as preferred bidder for the contract to build the first light rail line in the Brazilian city of Cuiaba.

THE federal government is reportedly looking to implement the construction of a Reais 1.2bn ($US 657m) railway from Brasilia to Anápolis and Goiânia as a finance-build-operate PPP. The line would be 190km long with a maximum operating speed of 160km/h.

MRS Logistics will take delivery in August of the first of seven rack locomotives being built by Stadler in Switzerland under a Reais 120m ($US 7.6m) contract.

BRAZILIAN ethanol and sugar company The Cosan Group has acquired 38 million shares in freight operator Latin American Logistics (ALL) for $US 521m, almost double the market price.

BRAZIL'S Federal Transport Infrastructure Department has allocated a budget of Reais 1.85bn for various rail projects around the country this year, according a report by Business News Americas.

THE director of Brazil's National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) Mr Bernardo Figueiredo announced on January 18 that the tender for Phase 1 of the Rio de Janeiro - São Paulo - Campinas high-speed project, which involves selecting an operator and the technology for the new railway, has been delayed until October.

Rio de Janeiro suburban rail operator SuperVia has begun dynamic testing of the first of 34 new emus from CNR Changchun, China, eight of which will enter service by next month. 

USIMINAS Mechanica, Brazil, has agreed to build a second wagon manufacturing plant in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais as the company aims to tap into Brazil's expected need to buy 4500 wagons per year.

Bidding has begun for the contract to build the city's Reais 1.2bn ($US 683m) light rail network, which is due to open in time for the 2014 Soccer World Cup, which Brazil is hosting.