Procon Carioca reported today (22) that it fined the rail transport concessionaire Supervia R$ 1.362 million for the suspension of service on the Japeri branch on August 24, 30 and 31 of last year, and for the circulation of trains with irregular schedules in other branches. According to the municipal body, the concessionaire suspended more than 800 trips in 2021, harming the lives of millions of users.
“The interruptions in the operation of the lines had harmful consequences for consumers, who reported difficulties in boarding other branches of the company due to overcrowding, since the stoppage occurred at peak hours, which also put passengers at greater risk of contagion. of the coronavirus”, said Procon.
Linked to the Municipal Secretary of Citizenship, the body said that the company attributes the suspension to the theft of cables and signaling equipment, which would have made it impossible to provide its service with due security.
Procon made a series of questions to the company, which also said that the stoppages were punctual and caused occasional delays, of 2 hours on August 24, 2021, and 3 hours on August 30 and 31. Supervia informed Procon that there were 526 occurrences of theft and signal cables in 2021, in addition to 43 occurrences of theft of fasteners and other components of the railway line, such as tirefonds (large screw used to fix the rail to the sleeper) and backing plates.
Despite the justifications, Procon considers that the suspension and delays in circulation were not isolated facts, and states that there is no doubt as to the infractions committed by the company.
cable theft
Delays in the circulation of trains attributed to the theft of cables again caused inconvenience to Supervia passengers this morning. According to the concessionaire, the Saracuruna branch operated at irregular intervals because cables were stolen at several points, which damaged the automatic signaling system.
The situation generated indignation from passengers, who occupied the railway line between Gramacho and Corte Oito stations and threw objects on the track. The concessionaire had to suspend the operation and called the Military Police. At 10:30 am, circulation on the Saracuruna branch and on the Guapimirim and Vila Inhomirim extensions was normalized, according to the company, which said it “regrets acts like these”.
When contacted, Supervia said it would not comment on the fine.
