Brazil marks December 17 for first rail corridor auction in five years
The Brazilian government scheduled a tender for the Minas-Rio railway corridor on December 17, ending a five-year gap in public bidding. The concession covers approximately 733 kilometers linking Minas Gerais to Rio de Janeiro.
On December 17, Brazil will hold an auction for the Minas-Rio railway corridor, marking the first such bid for this mode of transport in five years. The tender involves a rail line stretching roughly 733 kilometers connecting municipalities across Minas Gerais and the Rio de Janeiro coast. Operators currently manage two sections: one between Iguatema and Barra Mansa with branches to Varginha and Lavras, and another between Barra Mansa and Angra dos Reis. The winning bidder must submit a recapitalization, recovery, and modernization plan within two years of taking over the line. Brazil's National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) has approved procedural changes to the bidding terms. Previously, live-voice auction rules required specific spacing between bids; the new rules allow any participant up to three in number to proceed to verbal bidding regardless of bid differences. Above three participants, a cutoff criterion based on percentage difference from the best offer will apply.
