The Governors of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezão, and Espírito Santo, Paulo Hartung, participated today in a ceremony held in the Port of Açu, in São João da Barra (RJ), to celebrate a partnership for the development of a rail link between the two states.
IMG_4024.jpgDuring the event attended by Legislators, Senators and Mayors from the region, the Governors signed a letter addressed to President Michel Temer reiterating the importance of building a rail corridor between state capitals Rio de Janeiro and Vitória. Thanks to this agenda, a hearing was scheduled next Tuesday between the Governors and the President, who will be handed the letter then.
IMG_3777.jpg”We will fight together for this project. We are talking about a railroad that will combine the potential of the two states and foster development, generating jobs and income,” said Rio de Janeiro Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão.
“I believe that we must transform opportunities into concrete actions. Taking the first step is crucial in this process. This is why we are working together for a common goal, the development of our region and Brazil. One of the main foundations for progress is a good structure for transportation logistics,” emphasized Espírito Santo Governor Paulo Hartung.
One of the key points is that the route will enable the development of the newest “Port Province of the Southeast”, with the Port of Açu in an outstanding position, creating a new logistics alternative of vital importance to ship cargo produced in the Southeast and Midwest regions, such as petrochemicals, iron ore, grains, steel, etc.
IMG_3678.jpg”Building the railway is more than a logistics project, we are talking about the sustainable social-economic development of a region and the whole country. The Port of Açu is Brazil’s fourth largest private port and no doubt will be a way to link the rail lines to the international market,” added José Magela, CEO of Prumo Logística.
The document was also signed by trade groups including FIRJAN, FINDES, Rio de Janeiro Trade Association and Espírito Santo in Action.
Rail links
The development of a rail link between the two states was already contemplated in the Logistics Investment Program (PIL), launched by the federal government in 2012. In the program’s review, in 2015, the importance of the link was reinforced, and the segment was maintained. In that same year, the National Land Transportation Agency (ANTT) organized public hearings on the matter.
With studies and design in an advanced stage, the segment between the two states will be 577 km-long, with wide and mixed track gauges. A total of 150 km of the existing rail bed will be retrofitted.
Investment in the development of the railway between the two state capitals is estimated at 5.5 billion reais (the amount will be disbursed according to stages yet to be defined).
