In
the 1980s and 90s, two cities in Brazil attempted to build light rail
systems modeled on the "pre-metro/metro" plan developed in the 1970s in
Belgium. A modern light rail vehicle or LRV - known in Brazil as a
"veículo leve sobre trilhos" or VLT - would operate on a surface
route, with grade crossings and simple, street-level stations. As
traffic grew, the line would be upgraded to metro standards and the
cars replaced by trains that collect power from third rail. In 1977
Brazil ordered 68 VLTs from an international consortium composed of BN
of Belgium, Siemens of Germany, MTE of France and Cobrasma of Brazil.
(Belgian and German manufacturers had supplied trams to many Brazilian
cities earlier in the century.) New rail lines were constructed in Rio
de Janeiro and Campinas. Both projects failed. One was redesigned and
built as a conventional metro. The other ran a few years and closed.
Click on the links below for illustrated histories of the LRV/VLT
adventures in these cities: 2) CAMPINAS [text, map, 19 photos]
Completely new – and successful – light rail lines were inaugurated in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and Santos.
This website was originally launched on 21/5/2002 * Copyright © 2002-2102 Allen Morrison - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
