BRAZIL: The C2 Mobilidade Sobre Trilhos consortium led by local transport group Comporte Participações partnered with the Hong Kong subsidiary of Chinese supplier CRRC has won the bidding auction for the Trem Intercidades Eixo Norte (North Axis Intercity Train) project linking São Paulo with Campinas.
This was announced by São Paulo State Governor Tarcísio de Freitas on February 29 at the B3 Stock Exchange in São Paulo where the auction was held. The consortium was the sole bidder for the scheme, tenders for which had been called in October last year.
The 30-year concession covers works to accommodate express passenger services on the 101 km long, 1 600 mm gauge São Paulo – Jundiaí – Campinas route. This is currently used solely by freight trains between Jundiaí and Campinas, where a new passenger terminal will be built. The concessionaire will be responsible for operation and maintenance of the service and will be entitled to retain ticket revenues.
The estimated total cost of the scheme is R$14·2bn. Of this, the São Paulo state government is contributing R$8∙98bn, of which federal development bank BNDES is to provide R$6∙8bn. The consortium had offered a 0∙01% discount on annual payments from the state government.
‘This project is emblematic because it is the first, it is innovative, it is avant-garde. It is the first medium-speed train in Brazil and comes with three services: Line 7-Rubi, the Trem Intermetropolitano stopping service between Campinas and Jundiaí, and the express service between Campinas and São Paulo’, said Tarcísio de Freitas. ‘Imagine how people’s lives will change. It is a very important project in terms of mobility, and it opens a cycle of new railway infrastructure investment and passenger transport.’
Service pattern
The express service will be timed to complete the São Paulo Barra Funda – Campinas journey in 64 min, calling only at Jundiaí. It is to be operated by a fleet of 15 trainsets, each with a capacity of 860 passengers. They will be the fastest trains in Brazil, travelling up to 140 km/h, according to the state government.
In addition to the São Paulo – Campinas express service, the concessionaire will be required to operate an Intermetropolitano service over the 44 km between Jundiaí and Campinas with stops at Louveira, Vinhedo and Valinhos. Seven new trains will be scheduled to operate this service with an end-to-end journey time of 33 min and an average speed of 80 km/h. Each train will accommodate 2 048 passengers, and the maximum fare will be limited to R$14∙15, although adjustments can be made for inflation.
The concessionaire will also take over operation of suburban rail Line 7-Rubi on the 57 km route between Barra Funda in São Paulo and Jundíai, which is currently in the hands of state-owned suburban operator CPTM. A fleet of 30 trains will be transferred to the concessionaire.
This also means that Line 7, which is currently operated as cross-city service Line 710 between Rio Grande da Serra and Jundíai following the amalgamation of lines 7 and 10, would terminate at Barra Funda. Traffic on Line 7 is expected to total around 400 000 passengers/day.
Average fare for the express service between São Paulo and Campinas will be R$50, with a maximum of R$64. Fares for the Intermetropolitano service will be capped at R$14·1, and Line 7-Rubi ticket prices will remain at R$5.
Agreements with freight operators
Former São Paulo state governor Rodrigo Garcia signed a technical agreement with the Federal Ministry of Infrastructure in November 2022 that paved the way for the provision of separate tracks for passenger services on the São Paulo – Campinas route. Operation of the railway between São Paulo Barra Funda and Jundiaí is currently contracted to freight operator MRS Logística while the Jundiaí – Campinas section of the route is in the hands of Rumo.
Under the terms of the concession signed in July 2022 with MRS, around R$3∙7bn is to be spent on ‘works of public interest’ to ensure segregation of tracks for passenger services between Barra Funda and Jundiaí. This was followed in October 2022 by an accord between Rumo and the São Paulo state government covering measures to ensure segregation of passenger trains from Rumo’s freight operations between Jundiaí and Campinas.
The state government is expected to hold an auction for passenger services between São Paulo and Sorocaba in 2025. Plans are also being drawn up in the longer term for a concession covering the routes from São Paulo to São José dos Campos and Santos.
- CRRC is reported to be considering plans to establish a rail vehicle assembly plant in Brazil. Potential sites include Valinhos and Hortolândia, both of which are near Campinas in São Paulo state.
