Discover some of the abandoned railroads in Brazil

Rail transport is a very little explored modal in Brazil. Since the time of Juscelino Kubitschek, the main means of transport in Brazil has been the road. No wonder, about a third of the Brazilian rails are deactivated. That is, the number of abandoned railroads in Brazil is alarming. 

According to data from the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), of the 28,218 kilometers of the existing rail network on Brazilian soil, almost 9,000 kilometers are abandoned. In addition, more than two-thirds of these 8.6 kilometers are deteriorated. That is, the condition is so bad that there is no possibility of using them.

So, if you want to know a little more about the abandoned railroads in Brazil and how we got to this situation, check out a little more: 

Beginning of the predominance of highways

Throughout the 1950s, Brazil was still a country that needed greater investments and needed to grow economically. Without having much knowledge about what this could entail for the long-term future, the Brazilian government at the time favored highways over railroads. However, due to the coffee crisis, many exports had been stopped, causing part of the railroads (administered by the private sector) indebtedness.

With the intention of attracting automobile industries and investments to Brazil, then-President Juscelino Kubitschek created the so-called Goals Plan, whose purpose was to improve Brazilian infrastructure. Along with this, Brazil changed its federal capital to Brasília, starting the construction of highways that would link the center of the country to the richest regions. 

In this way, with several tax incentives for the automobile industries, Volkswagen, Willis Overland, Mercedes Benz and General Motors came to Brazil, starting the process of abandoning the railroads in our country. Even because, Brazil prioritized the road modal even in the transport of loads, collaborating so that today we have so many abandoned railroads in Brazil.

Reasons for abandoning the railroads

With the context of the time slightly summarized, Brazil began to become a highway country, that is, it was leaving the railroads aside. Without many environmental concerns, the automobile industries were growing too much in Brazil and spreading throughout the country. 

As JK's own motto already said, his government sought to make the country grow “50 years in 5”. However, as Brazil is a country of continental dimensions, the low malleability of the rail modal meant that many regions were really integrated with the rest of the country only through highways. 

Also, maintaining a railroad in good condition is more expensive than maintaining a highway. In addition, in 1957, with the end of some private concessions on the railroads in Brazil, the state-owned Rede Ferroviária Federal (RFFSA) started to manage the railroads, which was also another reason for abandonment, since the country's government clearly wanted to implement “road transport”. 

However, after years of neglect, some companies have resumed concessions under some railroads, causing, slowly, part of the investments in the modal to be resumed. This happened in 1997, when the modernization of some rail networks began. 

Abandoned railroads in Brazil 

Exemplifying more about abandoned railroads in Brazil, here are some examples of railroads that are currently deactivated: 

Estrada de Ferro Mauáconsidered the first railroads in Brazil, the Estrada de Ferro Mauá was very important for the history of our country. Currently, most of the line is completely abandoned (with the exception of a small section). Currently, only the Vila Inhomirim Line, controlled by Supervia, carries passengers from Rio de Janeiro, in Magé.

Malha Sul: Despite being privatized in 1997, Malha Sul has numerous stretches that add to the rest of the abandoned railroads in Brazil. About 41.7% of the mesh was forgotten. That is, it has only the degraded “structure” and does not operate. It is also worth mentioning that the participation of railroads in the Rio Grande do Sul matrix was only 6.4% in 2014. 

Estrada de Ferro Central do Brasil: considered very important in the past two centuries, the railroad was responsible for connecting São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. However, as the two economic poles developed a lot in terms of highways, many stretches were forgotten over time.

Ferrovia do Aço: Designed and built, the Ferrovia do Aço is perhaps one of the main examples of how Brazil did not develop its railroads. Built in the 70's, it never had a wagon in circulation. However, to this day there are remaining structures of the Steel Railroad, which have been rotting over time. In addition, it serves as housing for some residents of Sabará, in greater Belo Horizonte.

It is worth remembering that there are countless other abandoned railroads across the country, but these are just for example. In addition, even information related to railroads is scarce in Brazil, showing abandonment in all areas.

Reasons to increase the percentage of railroads in the transport mode scenario

In 2022, there is no shortage of reasons to reinvest in the rail modal. This is because, although it is a transport with little malleability, the advantages and long-term benefits are remarkable. In Europe, for example, where the rail modal is privileged (even in the transport of passengers), by 2050 any cargo transport over a distance of more than 300 km will have to be done by road.

This is because, while we find countless abandoned railroads in Brazil, in Europe what we see most are rails. Speaking a little more about the benefits, in addition to spending less fuel (about three times), rail transport manages to greatly reduce the emission of carbon dioxide,boosted by road transport. 

That is, according to ANTT (National Land Transport Agency), about 82% of pollutant emissions from Brazilian transport come from heavy trucks. Meanwhile, only 5% is linked to the railroads. 

In addition, the rail modal is capable of transporting much greater capacities, usually in tons. Using Massa's products, such as railroad scales, for example, you can organize your products much better, as control can be carried out from wagon to wagon. In addition, there are specific types of transport for each purpose, another advantage of their products. MASSA Project.

Finally, another huge advantage is the non-dependence on people who make the transport. That is to say, as road transport stands out in Brazil, it is not for nothing that the country suffered harsh consequences during the truck drivers' strike in 2018, for example. After all, the number of people involved ends up being much greater. 

Conclusion: abandoned railroads in Brazil

Therefore, we can say that the high number of abandoned railroads in Brazil is something that only brings negative points to the country. However, between 2001 and 2017, with the growth in the number of private rail networks, freight transport on rail grew by an average of only 3.8% per year. Which can give hope for a future with more tracks. 

In addition, with environmental concerns becoming more evident every year, the option for everything that “does less harm” to the environment is always the best option. Therefore, the expectation is that in a few years the number of abandoned railroads in Brazil will have decreased.