Brazil has 42 passenger rail transport projects, which should support the segment in recovering the number of passengers seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rail transport system in Brazil recorded almost 2.6 billion passengers in 2025, a slight increase of 0.8% compared to the previous year, but still well below the peak of 3.22 billion recorded in 2019, in the pre-pandemic period.
Amid the population’s changing habits, the sector sees the expansion of the country’s railway network as a crucial factor for increasing the volume of passengers in rail-based public transportation.
In light of this, dozens of mapped projects are divided between those in the execution phase and others that are planned, with an investment portfolio totaling 50 billion reais (US$10 billion) already scheduled for the next five years, with the possibility of increasing.
The projects refer to metros, passenger trains, light rail vehicles (VLT) and intercity trains.
The state of São Paulo concentrates most of the projects, but there is growing regional diversification of these initiatives.
The large volume of projects in the rail passenger sector has also attracted an increase in the number of companies.
“The entry of new participants in the sector is seen in a positive light, in a context in which the Brazilian market already has a strong international presence, with companies such as Alstom (France), CAF (Spain) and CRRC (China) operating in the country. In recent years, we have seen greater participation by Chinese companies, the installation of new factories in Brazil and increased competition along the supplier chain,” said Ana Patrizia Lira, CEO of the National Association of Passenger Rail Operators (ANPTrilhos), to BNamericas.
"This movement tends to generate favorable impacts, such as job creation, increased competitiveness, and improved financing conditions for projects. At the same time, the domestic industry remains prepared and able to meet the sector’s demand," said Lira.
BNamericas mapped the list of projects in Brazil using information obtained through ANPTrilhos.
Works in Progress
In total, the portfolio brings together 19 metro-rail infrastructure projects under execution in Brazil.
Of this total, the metropolitan region of São Paulo concentrates seven initiatives, followed by Salvador, with three projects. Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza have two projects each, while Rio de Janeiro, Agreste, Campina Grande, Greater Teresina and the Federal District have one project each.
In Belo Horizonte, the highlights are the expansion of Metro Line 1, with a length of 1.7km and scheduled for delivery in 2026, as well as the implementation of Line 2, with 10.5km and seven stations, scheduled for 2028.
In Rio de Janeiro, the main project underway is the construction of the Gávea subway station, with delivery estimated for 2028.
In the metropolitan region of São Paulo, there are several projects, such as the Guarulhos airport People Mover, with 2.6km and four stations, scheduled for this year. Work is also progressing on the Line 6–Orange, divided into two phases, with deliveries scheduled for 2026 and 2027. Another highlight is the Line 17–Gold monorail, with 6.7km and eight stations, scheduled for 2026.
The expansion of Line 15–Silver, with 4.6km and three stations, scheduled for 2027, is also underway, as well as projects with a horizon up to 2028, such as the expansion of Line 2–Green and the extension of Line 4–Yellow.
In the Northeast, LRV projects are gaining ground, such as in Arapiraca and Campina Grande, both scheduled for completion in 2027.
In Fortaleza, the airport branch of the Northeast Line of the VLT and the East Line of the metro (phase 1) are underway, with deliveries scheduled for 2026 and 2028, respectively.
In Greater Teresina, the construction of the Todos os Santos station is planned, with delivery in 2026.
In Salvador, the metropolitan LRT is divided into three sections, with deliveries scheduled between 2027 and 2028.
In the Federal District, the expansion of Metro Line 1 is underway, with delivery scheduled for 2028.
Projects under structuring
In total, the portfolio comprises 14 projects in the structuring phase, distributed across several regions of the country, with emphasis on the metropolitan region of São Paulo.
In Rio de Janeiro, three rail system projects are planned to replace BRT corridors, in addition to the Niterói LRT, which is under technical studies.
In Campinas, there is a light rail project in the study phase.
In the metropolitan region of São Paulo, projects such as the Line 14–Onyx, Line 19–Celeste and other lines at different stages of structuring and studies stand out.
There are also projects in Sorocaba and Curitiba, as well as two in the Federal District, including the W3 LRV and Metro Line 2.
Intercity Trains
In the intercity segment, there are nine passenger railway sections under study, distributed across different states of the country, with São Paulo standing out, as it concentrates three initiatives.
The other projects are located in Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Federal District/Goiás, Bahia, Ceará, and Maranhão.
In the state of São Paulo, three intercity train projects are under review: the west axis, linking São Paulo to Sorocaba; the east axis, between São Paulo and São José dos Campos; and the south axis, connecting the state capital to Santos.
In Paraná, the section under study connects Londrina to Maringá, while in Rio Grande do Sul the project provides for the connection between Rio Grande and Pelotas.
In the Central-West region, there is a project that connects Brasília (DF) to Luziânia (GO), expanding integration between the Federal District and the surrounding area.
In the Northeast, three initiatives stand out: in Bahia, the Salvador–Feira de Santana section; in Ceará, the connection between Fortaleza and Sobral; and, in Maranhão, the project that connects São Luís to Itapecuru Mirim.
