Almost R$24 billion in investments are planned over the next 30 years of the concession renewal
On Thursday (22/8), the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) approved the reopening of Public Hearing No. 12/2020, to gather suggestions from society on the contractual extension of the Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica S.A. (FCA) Concessionaire. The decision follows the implementation of new public policy guidelines that required adjustments to the studies and legal documents initially submitted for public consultation in 2021. The sessions, which will take place between September 30 and October 7 in various locations impacted by the railroad, will ensure discussion of the proposed changes with society and entities.
FCA’s current concession contract is due to expire in 2026. The proposal for renewal is for 30 years and includes investments of almost R$24 billion. The railroad is 7,856.8 km long, crossing the states of Bahia, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Sergipe and the Federal District. The renovation includes almost 5,725 km of track and covers the Central-East, Central-Southeast, Minas-Bahia and Minas-Rio corridors.
Click here to watch the full 989th Board Meeting with the vote on reopening the FCA Public Hearing
Written contributions can be sent from August 30 to October 14, 2024, through the ParticipANTT system. For those who prefer to participate in person, the Agency will hold four public sessions. On September 30, the session will take place in Belo Horizonte/MG; on October 2, in Vitória/ES; and on October 4, in Salvador/BA, all starting at 14:00 and ending at 18:00. The specific locations of these meetings will be announced at a later date. In addition, on October 7, a hybrid session (virtual and face-to-face) will be held in the Auditorium of ANTT’s headquarters in Brasília, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with a live broadcast on ANTT’s YouTube channel.
“The reopening of this public hearing reflects ANTT’s and FCA’s commitment to transparency and the involvement of society in the contract renewal process, ensuring that interested parties have the opportunity to contribute and be informed about the proposed developments for the concession that extends over several regions of Brazil,” said the project’s rapporteur and ANTT director Guilherme Theo Sampaio.
Proposals
With the renewal of the contract, FCA is proposing significant investments in infrastructure, aimed at resolving urban conflicts and improving rail connectivity. Works are planned at the Aratu/BA station for a new railway access, and the concessionaire plans to recapacitate several stretches for freight transportation, as well as installing various structures to mitigate urban conflicts in 40 municipalities, including viaducts, bridges, footbridges and underpasses.
In addition, the concessionaire will have to deal with the impacts of the future Belo Horizonte/MG metro line, including necessary adaptations to the rail infrastructure and additional operating costs. Another important update to the contract is the obligation for the concessionaire to keep an updated inventory every three years of all the concession’s assets, making it available for government consultations and inspections, ensuring transparency and proper maintenance of the assets.
The updates and improvements proposed for the Centro-Atlântica Railroad project will be made available with recent adjustments on the ANTT website. For more details on the changes and how to participate in the public sessions, visit the ParticipANTT system, under Public Hearing No. 12/2020. Further questions can be answered by e-mailing ap012.2020@antt.gov.br.
Source: ANTT
