By PortalPortuario Editorial Staff
The expansion of Brazilian railway infrastructure reached a new milestone with the delivery of the first phase of the Northern Network extension and the new railway station on the BR-070 highway, in Dom Aquino (MT). With 160 kilometers in length, the project has 130 wagons for transporting grains from the Midwest to the Port of Santos (SP). The work mobilized more than 65 contracted companies and registered over 5,000 industry professionals.
“Brazil, which 70 years ago was a food importer, is now among the three largest food producers and exporters in the world. We need to reach the ports. And to reach the ports, we need railways. With better logistics, our competitiveness will improve,” emphasized the Vice President of Brazil, Geraldo Alckmin.
Developed by Rumo, the initiative is part of the Brazilian Government’s New PAC (Growth Acceleration Program) and received over USD 971.1 million in private investment in this phase. The funds were obtained through financing from the Superintendence for the Development of the Midwest Region (Sudeco) and bonds from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES).
“Mato Grosso produces more than 150 million tons, and it is essential that we are prepared for the development of this production. It is essential to develop new solutions. One of them is the launch of a specific BNDES financing line, exclusively aimed at railway construction for the acquisition of rolling stock,” announced the Minister of Transport, George Santoro.
According to Santoro, this is a 40-year credit line with a grace period during the project’s investment phase. “It is a change in the bank’s policy to offer investors and entrepreneurs such an important solution,” he added. Santoro also highlighted the Ministry’s work together with the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) in structuring projects that integrate road, rail and waterway modes.
The inaugurated project represents one of the main railway undertakings underway in the country, which connects different transport modes and contributes to reducing logistics costs, greater operational efficiency and regional development.
The CEO of Rumo, Pedro Palma, listed a series of measures adopted with the participation of municipal, state and federal executive branches, in addition to the legislative branch, to enable the project’s operation, including the creation of partnerships and strategic collaborations, taking into account social and environmental impacts.
“The federal government recognized the importance of this project, not only for Mato Grosso, but also for the infrastructure of the entire country, supporting it by including it in the New PAC (Growth Acceleration Program), both in the investment process, as with BNDES, which is one of our main financial partners, and with the creation of this infrastructure,” stated Palma.
The Northern Network extension is part of the Mato Grosso State Railway (FMT), a project that provides for an additional 743 kilometers of tracks between Rondonópolis (MT) and Lucas do Rio Verde (MT), with a branch line to Cuiabá (MT). It crosses 16 municipalities and connects Mato Grosso’s production to the national railway network.
The first phase comprises the construction of 162 kilometers of railway on a completely new route, bringing the tracks closer to the producing regions and increasing the efficiency of cargo transport in the main logistics corridor of Brazilian agribusiness.
