Transnordestina project advances

The state secretary of Economic Development, Fernando Bezerra Coelho, considered that the contracting of executive projects for three stretches of the Ferrovia Transnordestina by Companhia Ferroviária do Nordeste (CFN) was a positive step, with the companies chosen to be announced next week. Preparing an executive project is the first step for completing the project properly speaking, to be finished in a minimum of one year’s time. The stretches encompass Salgueiro-Suape – which is the main rail branch line in Pernambuco – Araripina-Eliseu Martins (a city in Piauí) and Missão Velha-Pecém. The latter two are in Ceará.

This means that the projects for the main branch of the Transnordestina in Pernambuco wil only begin over the period of one year, after the executive project is concluded.

The railroad will link the city of Eliseu Martins to the ports of Pecém and Suape. The cost of the project is R$ 4.5 billion. In business circles, there are reports circulating that the CFN will only build the Ceará stretch linking Eliseu Martins to the port of Pecém.
In order to finance the executive projects, the CFN will use part of a R$ 100 million loan awarded by the Brazilian National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES).

Senator Sérgio Guerra (PSDB) said yesterday that he has frequently spoken with CFN executives, who say the priority regarding future Transnordestina projects is construction of a branch line to Suape. Yesterday, the senator went to the Palácio Campo das Princesas, accompanied by businessman Ricardo Steinbruch, brother of Benjamin Steinbruch, the major shareholder in Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), which is one of the shareholders of CFN. They met Governor Eduardo Campos (PSB). The conversation was about the Brazilian textile industry in view of the interest of the federal government in launching an economic package to stimulate the sector, said Guerra. The Steinbruch family is owner of Grupo Vicunha, a textile group.

Fonte: Jornal do Commércio (PE)