Brazil had a growth of 21% in the volume of passengers transported on rails systems in 2018, reaching the record 3.7 billion people attended the year. On weekdays, 10.9 million commuters used the Metro, Train and Light Rail Vehicle lines throughout the country, attending a 9.2% increase in 2017. This growth is a result of the expansion of systems and capillarity in the sector.

The data are part of the Balance of the Metro Rail Sector 2018/2019, released by the National Association of Passenger Rail Operators (ANPTrilhos), in early May, in Brasília, capital of Brazil. The Annual Balance of the Association presents the statistics of urban mobility on rails throughout the country.

The expansion of the service network is also a highlight of the Balance of ANPTrilhos. The entity estimated a growth of 41 km in 2018, a figure that was achieved with the expansion of lines in the states of São Paulo, Bahia and Ceará. The rail network has gained 2 new lines and 30 stations, totaling over 1,100 km in length.

“The metro rail sector has been growing in recent years, but this development is still small comparing to the great demand for commuting of the Brazilian population. The metro rail transportation is present in only 13 metropolitan regions, out of a total of 63 medium and large cities. Projections indicate that urban densification will only increase in the coming decades, which serves as an alert for decision making at this time for the implementation of integrated transport networks, providing more quality of life for people and environmental quality for cities”, highlights the President of ANPTrilhos, Joubert Flores.

Click here and learn more about the Balance of the Metro Rail Sector 2018/2019, in Portuguese

Click here and read the full press-release, in Portuguese