Learn all about the Maranhão Railroads
Despite not being a state that stands out for its production, Maranhão has a strategic role in transport logistics to other states, especially Pará. The flow of production from Pará passes a lot through the railways of Maranhão, helping to take the extracted ores to different regions.
In this sense, the railroads of Maranhão have a direct impact on the country's economy. Thus, it is important to understand how this mode of transport is formed in the state of Maranhão, that is, which are the main railways that operate in the region, curiosity, which commodities are transported, numbers, among other interesting details.
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Maranhao Railroads
The Brazilian railway context still leaves much to be desired. As a form of transport that is in the background, “losing” to the road sector, the rail fleet still lacks stations, roads and infrastructure.
However, there are several national states that depend a lot on the use of railroads, mainly because of the type of product being transported.
Ores, for example, are the products that pass through the the most. About 77% of all rail transport in the country is made up of minerals. As the North and Northeast regions stand out in the extraction of ores, the railways become fundamental.
In Maranhão there are 3 main railways: Estrada de Ferro Carajás, Ferrovia São Luís and Ferrovia Norte Sul. These railroads in Maranhão are essential for the flow of ores extracted in neighboring states, leading mainly to the Port of Itaqui, essential for the export of these products.
Carajás Railroad
Built essentially as a result of the Carajás Project, which aimed to improve mining in Pará, Tocantins and Maranhão, the Carajás Railroad is one of the most important railways in the country. The length of the railway is 892 km, connecting the largest open pit ore mine, Carajás (Pará), to the port of Ponta da Madeira, in Maranhão.
Unlike other railroads in Brazil, which for a long time suffered from the scrapping and abandonment of investments, the railroads of Maranhão, essentially the Carajás Railroad, is one of those that is constantly advancing, receiving recurring investments.
From 2013 to 2017, for example, the railroad was extended over 500 km, further strengthening its transport capacity, which now handles the movement of 230 million tons of iron ore per year. In addition to using MASSA's dynamic railway scales, which allow for speed and weighing accuracy, read about this project here.
With 10,756 wagons and 217 locomotives, EFC is one of the most qualified railways in Maranhão and Brazil in general, precisely because of this investment in infrastructure and technology. In 2012, the EFC was considered the most efficient railway in the country by a study by the Institute of Logistics and Supply Chain (Ilos).
São Luís – Teresina Railway
The São Luís Railway, named after the state capital, is one of the main railways in Maranhão. The line was inaugurated in 1921, when the main transport in the region was the river. Developed to assist in the flow of various products, essentially cotton, the railroad remains in operation today.
Currently, she is responsible for connecting cities of São Luís (Maranhão) and Teresina (Piauí), passing through Timon, Caxias, Codó, Timbiras, Coroatá, Pirapemas, Cantanhede, Itapecuru Mirim, Santa Rita, Rosário and Bacabeira, all in Maranhão.
There are 454 km of railroad. Nowadays, the railroad is responsible for the transport of different inputs, such as cement, corrective limestone, clinker, containers, wooden pallets, among others.
Ferrovia Norte Sul
Finally, among the main railways in Maranhão there is also the North-South Railroad, which takes its name precisely because it was developed to cover a large territorial extension of the country, from north to south.
However, the project, which has been in development for 30 years, is not yet fully ready for use. The initial idea was to build more than 4000 km of railroad, but the works were constantly delayed. The idea is that the line will pass, when finished, through the states of Pará, Maranhão, Tocantins, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.
Divided into 3 main stretches, only 2 are in operation: Açailândia (MA) and Porto Nacional (TO), and between Rio Verde (GO) and Estrela d’Oeste (SP). Another main stretch, from Porto Nacional (TO) and Anápolis (GO) and other smaller stretches, such as Ouro Verde de Goiás (near Anápolis) and Rio Verde (GO), still lack terminals to operate.
The lack of investments and the delays in the conclusion of the works make it impossible for the North-South Railway to receive the planned highlight. However, with the arrival of the Marco Legal das Ferrovias, it is possible that this scenario will change.
Since the enactment of the Marco Legal das Ferrovias law, which diminishes the state's power and control over the railway sector, expectations have grown considerably. According to the government, 79 authorization requests have already been made by private companies to invest in the sector, totaling R$240.8 billion in potential investment.
This participation of the private sector can be decisive for the process of construction and implementation of the North-South Railroad to be accelerated, allowing the route to actually start operating in every corner of the country.
Maranhao Railwroads: Porto de Itaqui
Much of what is transported by the main railroads of Maranhão has as its final destination the ports of the state. The main one is the port of Itaqui, located in the capital São Luís. Currently, it is the 11th Brazilian port with the largest cargo handling in the country.
The Port of Itaqui is supplied by several railways in the region, such as:
- Transnordestina (FTL)
- Estrada de Ferro Carajás (EFC)
- North-South Railway;
The movement of the port is quite intense. Annually, the Port of Itaqui receives millions of tons of cargo, essentially soy, corn, fertilizers, copper, coal, pig iron, clinker, slag, manganese, rice, imported liquid bulk, caustic soda, ethanol and LPG.
Investments to further improve the performance of the Port of Itaqui continue to take place. Fundamental for the flow of cargo from the North, Northeast and Midwest, the port is part of Emap's Investment Plan (2016-2018).
According to the plan, the resources destined for the infrastructure of the Port reach R$1.3 billion. Of these, R$ 255.55 million are from own resources, R$ 4.126 million from federal resources and R$ 1.093 billion from the private sector.
Conclusion
As we saw during the article, there are 3 main railways in Maranhão, the most active being the Carajás Railway, the main railway in the North and Northeast states. Despite lacking infrastructure and suffering from a lack of investment, the railways are essential for the flow of cargo from Pará and other states, reaching the ports of Maranhão, essentially the Port of Itaqui.
Searchs:
http://www.vale.com/brasil/pt/initiatives/innovation/carajas-railway/paginas/default.aspx
http://geipot.gov.br/cadernos/2000/ma-2000.htm
https://www.portodoitaqui.ma.gov.br/
https://www.portodoitaqui.ma.gov.br/porto-do-itaqui/infraestrutura
http://www.estacoesferroviarias.com.br/ma-pi/sluiz.htm
https://economia.ig.com.br/2021-12-14/marco-legal-ferrovias.html
https://portal.ppi.gov.br/ferrovia-ef-151-sp-mg-go-to-ferrovia-norte-sul
