Driven by federal investments, via the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), which has set aside R$ 94.2 billion by 2026, and by the initiative of companies operating in the modal, rail freight transport has been consolidating its importance in the transport matrix.
Since 2022, the expectation of increasing its participation has been maintained, especially in supporting the distribution of agricultural production and general cargo throughout the country.
Until August 2024, Brazilian railroads recorded the highest volume of cargo transported in the last six years, reaching 52.47 million useful tons, a growth of 9.6% compared to the same period of the previous year. The data were released by Panorama Transportes da Infra S.A.
In addition, business in the railway chain remains heated. The Brazilian mission, composed of more than 85 representatives of the private sector and the government, which participated in September in InnoTrans, in Germany — one of the most important events in the sector in the world — highlighted the growing interest of international players in the Brazilian market.
Fernando D'Ascola, business manager of NT Expo – Negócios nos Trilhos, said:The potential of the Brazilian market has been drawing the attention of companies from the entire international railway chain, especially from Spain, Portugal and Germany, among other European countries. In addition to the large investments, there is a lot of innovation in Brazilian rail logistics, and these advances are being widely recognized.
Greener, Smarter, and More Connected Railways
In addition to networking and business, NT Expo 2025 will feature the NT Expo Congress, which will bring together industry leaders, government representatives, businessmen and experts from the metro rail sector. Among the central themes will be infrastructure, cybersecurity, innovation, ESG and intermodality. The main theme of the congress will be: “Connected railways: greener, smarter and more competitive paths”.
At the NT Expo Congress, the debate on railway infrastructure will highlight recent advances and challenges, such as the integration of the Brazilian railway network. Projects such as the Intercity Trains and the New Railroad indicate a new moment for the sector. However, issues such as the reuse of returned railroads and the shortline model remain on the agenda, with a focus on transforming the rail modal into a strategic solution for national logistics.
Another important topic will be the interconnection between railways and ports. Given Brazil’s role as one of the largest exporters of agricultural and mineral commodities, optimizing this connection is essential to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and minimize environmental impacts. Success stories and ongoing projects will illustrate the potential of this integration.
Innovation will be a cross-cutting theme, addressing the role of artificial intelligence, automation and digitalization in the rail sector. Cybersecurity challenges will also be discussed, with a focus on how to balance innovation and protection against risks associated with smart grids.
As one of the cleanest modes of transport in terms of carbon emissions, railways play a strategic role in the Brazilian energy transition. The congress will discuss the future of electric, hybrid and alternative fuel locomotives, such as green hydrogen, as well as explore lines of financing and innovations in sustainable wagons.
Hermano Pinto Junior, director of the Infrastructure and Technology Portfolio at Informa Markets, organizer of NT Expo, said:Projects to expand the railway network are essential to reduce logistics costs and boost Brazil's competitiveness. The railroad surpassed the 26% mark in the cargo transport matrix, an extremely positive result for the entire cargo distribution ecosystem and encourages all stakeholders to maintain enthusiasm in the continuous development of the rail modal..
23rd Edition
In its 23rd edition, the event will bring together the chain of suppliers of solutions in equipment, services and technology for metro-rail transport from April 22 to 24, 2025, in the Anhembi District, in São Paulo, in parallel with Intermodal South America.
Next year, NT Expo will have a large participation of Brazilian and international companies, including newcomers such as AGLCompany, New Lathe Technologies, Mosdorfer, Eccomponentes, Eletro Terrivel, Magral & Rubena, Cattron, Oasis Engenharia, Hardlock, Dywdag, Future Rail, Taicang Zhongbo, China Railway Baoji Bridge Group, Suzhou Sudelan Railway Parts Co, TAIZHOU JIUJU TECHNOLOGY CO, PURAN, TAIZHOU JIUJU TECHNOLOGY CO (China) and Vessel Engenharia.
Other prominent brands include SCHUNK, VOITH TURBO, Plasser & Theurer, Robel (Germany), Voestalpine Railway Systems, Getzner (Austria), TIMKEN, Harsco, ENSCO (United States), Wabtec, Progress Rail, Loram, Pandrol, Vibtech, Cavan, Conprem & Soneville, Themit, Marcopolo Rail, CPTM, SECHERON, IRON TRAIN, LB FOSTER. And, returning to the event, the featured brands will participate in 2025: Frauscher Sensor Technology, Fox parts, Ecoplan and Siderea (Argentina).
Accreditation for the NT Expo Congress and the visit to the fair can be done directly on the event’s website.
The last edition of the event, in 2023, brought together more than 100 national and international brands, 50 speakers, with an audience of more than 4 thousand professionals in the sector.
This article was orignally published by Informa Markets.
