The National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), within the scope of the negotiations for the extension of the concession contracts, wants the current railway concessionaires to carry out a complete and georeferenced inventory of the entire railway network in the country, including unused or underutilized stretches, which they eventually want to give back to the government.
“No one is sure what was delivered to the concessionaires”, said yesterday the director of ANTT, Carlos Nascimento, during a lecture on 'short line' at the 18th Negócios nos Trilhos – NT Expo. Brazil has almost 30 km of railway network, 6 km operate with a density of less than 1 train per day. Part of this network may be operated as a 'short line', which are railway sections of low economic capacity, operated by small entrepreneurs, very common in the United States and with some experiences in Europe, especially in Italy.
In addition to the complete X-ray of the railway network, the Agency, before accepting the renewal of contracts, wants to classify the railways, as is done in the American model; define the concept of adequate service to be provided by operators; and reformatting the resolution that created the Independent Railway Operator (OFI).
ANTT also wants to modify Decree 8.129/2013 to allow the concession of the Palmas (TO) – Anápolis (GO) stretch of the North-South Railroad using the vertical model. According to the decree, the Agency can only make concessions for the so-called horizontal model, in which several railway operators can use the network's capacity at the same time. It is the model that created the Independent Railway Operator (OFI).
The horizontal concession model foresees that an operator manages the capacity of the railway line with several other operators transporting goods for their own customers, with their own rolling stock. The vertical model is the current concession model, in which a single concessionaire operates and controls the entire network. The change in the decree allows the Palmas (TO) – Anápolis (GO) stretch to be concessioned to VLI – which already operates the North stretch from Palmas (TO) to Açailândia (MA) – in the sphere of negotiation for the renewal of the current concession contracts .
All private concessionaires are negotiating with ANTT the extension of the concession period. This extension is provided for in the contracts, which begin to expire in 2026.
Source: Railway Magazine
