Vale had been thinking for some years of replacing the company’s passenger trains. In 2014, the project began to be implemented. The first line to have its fleet renewed from the end of March will be Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas (EFVM), which carries one million passengers per year. In the first half of 2015, new cars with European quality standards will arrive at Estrada de Ferro de Carajás (EFC) between Pará and Maranhão, in which 350 thousand people travel every year.
Vale will invest USD 135 million in the renovation program for passenger trains. Of this amount, USD 80.2 million is being invested in the purchase of 56 new rail cars for EFVM. The project has 10 business class cars and 30 economy class cars, plus support vehicles like dining cars, snack bar, generator, and a specific car for wheel chair users (people with limited mobility). The company will also invest USD 55 million to buy 39 cars for EFC.
The new trains were ordered from Romanian Company Astra Vagoane. In Vale’s bid, no domestic manufacturer meeting all requirements made by the mining company was found. According to Vale, it is a new passenger train for long distances, something not common in Brazil, with very specific technical characteristics. Technical and economic issues were critical for choosing the supplier, which already knew the project. However, Vale said that always seeks suppliers in Brazil.
Vincent Abate, president of Associação Brasileira da Indústria Ferroviária (Abifer), said that the choice of Astra had commercial reasons, since Brazilian industry was not competitive against Romanians in terms of prices. According to Abate, the volume of the order was not very big and there were still many types of cars to be produced. As Astra had already supplied cars to Vale, the Romanian company had another advantage in their favor against the competition. However, Abate recognized that the mining company made efforts to obtain the order in the country.
Both railroads that are renewing their passenger trains have a strategic role for Vale in freight transportation. Especially for iron ore produced by the company in Minas Gerais, drained via EFVM, and in Carajás, Pará, transported via EFC. Furthermore, both railroads also play an important social role, since it facilitates the mobility of people living in communities in the company’s operation area, said Zenaldo Oliveira, director of logistic operations of Vale. We are making an investment that seeks to bring more comfort to the communities who use the train, he said.
Passenger transport is a must for Vale in the concession contract. The fifth clause of the contract stipulates that it is the concessionaire’s responsibility to provide investments that ensure the provision of adequate service, according to Agência Nacional de Transportes Terrestres (ANTT). Investments in new trains were a decision of Vale without any demand by the agency. The concession’s requirements include the provision of services in terms of regularity, continuity, efficiency, safety, and low tariffs.
A research conducted by Instituto Futura and ordered by Vale showed that users approve the service. The study reported a satisfaction rate above 83% in relation to services performed in EFVM’s passenger trains and stations. The study showed that 40% of respondents use the trains for leisure, while 13.5% use the trains for working. Another 25% travel by train to visit relatives and friends, and almost 8% travel for health care.
The trip between Belo Horizonte (MG) and Vitória (ES) takes about 13 hours each way and costs USD 39.74 in business class and USD 24,69 in economy class. Even with the new trains, the time of the trip will remain the same because EFVM is a railroad with sharp reliefs, unlike European countries. EFVM’s passenger train is the only Brazilian daily service that travels long distances (412 miles) connecting two metropolitan regions, passing through 42 municipalities.
In the North, an EFC ticket costs USD 46,83 for executive class and USD 23,41 for executive class. The frequency is three times a week. The train runs 534 miles between Paraupebas (PA) and São Luís (MA), passing through 27 municipalities.
What differs in the new trains is the technology and comfort on board. Trains will be air-conditioned in both classes and have individual power plugs in the seats for charging electronic devices. Executive class cars will feature individual lighting and sound system. Executive class cars, which today have a capacity of 78 seats, will have 60 seats. The economic class, operating now with an average of 70 seats, will have 79 seats.
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