The concessionaire responsible for the operation, modernization and expansion of the metro system in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, in Minas Gerais state, Metrô BH, with the support of the Government of the State of Minas Gerais, anticipated the purchase of the 24 new trains planned for the system. The company has already started the manufacturing project for the new compositions. The expectation is that the first train will arrive in Brazil in early 2026 and commercial operations with the new vehicles will begin in the first half of the same year.
The 24 new trains, which will each have four cars, will be equipped with ATO (Automatic Train Operation), a system that allows for more regularity, comfort and smoothness in travel, while also allowing for savings in energy consumption. The trains will have digital monitors, which will reproduce travel information. Large windows will provide natural external lighting and the cars will be designed to provide more internal space for Metrô BH customers. Metrô BH is one of the companies of the Comporte Group, which operates in the metro, road and urban services segment, including light rail vehicles.
When delivered, the new trains will operate on both Line 1 and Line 2 of the BH Metro. Currently, the fleet consists of 35 trains. The responsible for designing and manufacturing the BH Metro trains is the Chinese company CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, a leading subsidiary of the largest rolling stock manufacturer in the world, CRRC. The initial inspiration seeks to represent the cultural complexity of the State of Minas Gerais.
