Works of Ferroanel begin in 2012

A project that has been debated at least for ten years by political authorities and representatives of business community is finally beginning to get started. Recently, the federal government and São Paulo government have agreed to build the Ferroanel, railroad track system for freight transportation that will surround the metropolitan region of São Paulo, as the Beltway.

Still on phase of engineering project hiring, the initiative will begin by the works on the North Stretch, connecting Campo Limpo Paulista and Engenheiro Manoel Feio station, in Itaquaquecetuba. This phase, originally budgeted at US$ 651.3 million, is expected to be operated by MRS Logística and should be started in 2012 and completed in 2014. Only after that the Southern Stretch will be made, which will reach Greater ABC region. For this, there is even a reserved area (right-of-way) next to the road system.

On the evaluation of the state government, the work is important, as the railroad ring should provide logistical gains for companies, reducing transportation time and costs, and also improve traffic conditions on the road network. This is because the flow of trucks on highways and urban centers should decrease.

There is also the understanding that the Ferroanel will benefit mass transit on rails. The track will allow freight trains to cross the metropolitan region of São Paulo without interfering with the transport of passengers, operated by São Paulo Metropolitan Train Company (Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos).

The CEO of CPTM, Mario Bandeira, highlighted the importance of the initiative. This is because currently there is shared use of tracks 7 (Luz-Francisco Morato), 10 (Luz-Rio Grande da Serra), 11 (Light and Estudantes, at East Zone) of the Company with the freight transportation, and the Company intends to reduce the headway to three minutes until 2014.

The goal is to adjust it to the increased demand. Today, there are 2.7 million people transported per day; in three years it will be 3.6 million daily. The available schedule windows for freight will be impossible, he said during the Business on Rails Tradeshow (Feira Negócios nos Trilhos), held a few days ago in São Paulo.

Prospects

For the CEO of the National Rail Transport Association (Associação Nacional dos Transportadores Ferroviários), Rodrigo Vilaça, the initiative is critical. This is a major railroad project in the country today, he says. He mentions that the start from North Stretch is justifiable, because it is more urgent. The CEO of CPTM has similar opinion. Track 10 is the most friendly in relation to sharing/CF); Track 7, from Luz to Barra Funda, however, is more conflicting, says Bandeira. He highlights that the prospects are very favorable that the project will be realized from the beginning of 2012. He remembers that MRS has already begun the segregation works of the track that handles freight and the track for the passenger train of a few stretches from Itaquaquecetuba and Mogi das Cruzes. “It already has 14 km of works,” he mentioned.

The manager added that the South Stretch, which will pass through Greater ABC region, will be a natural way, after the completion of the first step.