The federal government will make R$4 billion available over five years for works and also the acquisition of 18 new trains and four new light rail vehicles (VLTs). The agreement was signed this Tuesday (16), within the scope of the Investment Partnership Program (PPI). The concession will have a term of 30 years.
For next year, resources of around R$57 million are planned for civil works, roof repairs and contracting of services to improve comfort and safety conditions in train and subway stations.
The technical cooperation between the Union and the state of Pernambuco was signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at Palácio do Planalto, in Brasília.
“We want to guarantee the people’s right to get up in the morning and find good transport to go to work. The right to leave a company in the afternoon and return home to take care of the family using quality transport is sacred”, said Lula, as published in a statement by Palácio do Planalto.
According to the agreement, the objective is to structure the asset transfer project from the Companhia Brasileira de Trens Urbanos (CBTU) to the state government, based on a study prepared by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). The bidding process will be monitored by the Ministry of Cities and the Civil House.
CBTU will promote the reinforcement of the fleet with the incorporation of 11 trains, acquired or transferred from other company operating areas.
According to the Minister of Cities, Jader Filho, the initial measures are already authorized to begin.
“This is a critical moment, but we are moving forward with concrete solutions. R$57 million in initial investments for station improvements has already been guaranteed, with actions authorized to begin immediately”, he highlighted.
An improvement proposed by the system is the integration system, which consists of passengers paying a single, integrated fare across the entire public transport network for a certain period of time.
“If a person gets on the subway and wants to go from one end of the city to another for two hours, they only pay for one ticket”, highlighted the Minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa.
Costa also committed to making it possible for the state government to acquire at least 100 electric buses to modernize and provide quality and comfort to the population during the metro works period.
The Recife Metropolitan Region Metro Railway Network has 71.4 km of tracks, five lines and 37 stations, which transport between 160 thousand and 180 thousand passengers per day.
