Transport in Brazil

Transport infrastructure in Brazil is characterized by strong regional differences and lack of development of the national rail network. Brazil's fast-growing economy, and especially the growth in exports, will place increasing demands on the transport networks. However, sizeable new investments that are expected to address some of the issues are either planned or in progress.

Railways

Rodovia dos Imigrantes

Main article: Rail transport in Brazil

Further information: RFFSA

• Total actual network: 29,303 km

Broad gauge: 4,932 km 1.6m gauge (939 km electrified)

Narrow gauge: 23,773 km 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) gauge (581 km electrified)

Dual gauge: 396 km 1000 mm and 1600 mm gauges (three rails)

Standard gauge: 202.4 km 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) gauge: (2006)

• Estrada de Ferro do Amapá in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest also used standard gauge.
• A 12 km section of the former 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas is retained as a heritage railway.

Cities with Metros

Porto Alegre Metro

Belo Horizonte (28,2 km) Brasília (42,4 km) Fortaleza (24,1 km) Porto Alegre (43,4 km) Sobral (11,0 km)

Juazeiro do Norte (13,9 km) Recife (71 km) Rio de Janeiro (40,9 km) São Paulo (75,5 km) Salvador (7,3 km) Teresina (13,5 km)

Railway links with adjacent countries

Main article: Rail transport in Brazil § Railway links with adjacent countries

International rail links exist between Brazil and Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay.

Tramways (Street Railways)

Brazil had a hundred tramway systems. Currently, there are vintage tramways operating in Belém, Campinas, Campos do Jordão, Itatinga, Rio de Janeiro and Santos.

High-speed rail

Main article: High-speed rail in Brazil

A high-speed rail connecting São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro is currently under development.

Highways

Main article: Brazilian Highway System

Brazil has 1,751,868 kilometers of roads, 96,353 km of them paved and 1,655,515 km unpaved. That means that only 5.5% of the roads are paved and that 94.5% are unpaved. The most important highway of the country is BR-116 and the second is BR-101.

The country has a low rate of car ownership of 140 per 1000 population, however in comparison to the other developing economies of the BRIC group Brazil exceeds India and China.

Waterways

50,000 km navigable (most in areas remote from industry or population) (2008)

Pipelines

• condensate/gas 62 km
• natural gas 9,892 km
• liquid petroleum gas 353 km
• crude oil 4,517 km
• refined products 4,465 km (2008)

Seaports and harbors

Atlantic Ocean

Port of Natal

Fortaleza Ilheus Imbituba Paranaguá Porto Alegre

Recife Rio de Janeiro Rio Grande Salvador Santos

São Francisco do Sul São Sebastião ES Itajaí Natal

Amazon river

• Belém
• Manaus

Paraguay River (international water way)

• Corumbá

Merchant marine

total: 136 ships (1,000 gross register tons (GRT) or over) totaling 3,964,808 GRT/6,403,284 tonnes deadweight (DWT)
ships by type: (1999 est.)

bulk carriers 19 cargo ships 22 carrier ships 1 chemical tankers 7 container ships 11 gas carrying tankers 12

multi-functional large load carrier 1 passenger/cargo ships 12 petroleum tanker 45 roll-on/roll-off 7

Airports

See also: List of airports in Brazil

São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport.

Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport.

Most international flights must go to São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport or Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport. Belo Horizonte is the main international airport outside Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. A few go to Brasília, Recife, Natal, and just recently Fortaleza has accepted international flights. With South American integration, more airports can be expected to open to international flights.

In 2013 Brazil had the sixth largest passenger air market in the world.

Airports - with paved runways

total: 734
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 169
914 to 1,523 m: 476
under 914 m: 56 (2008)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3,442
1,524 to 2,437 m: 85
914 to 1,523 m: 1,541
under 914 m: 1,816 (2008)

National airlines

Main article: List of airlines of Brazil

• Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras
• Gol Transportes Aéreos
• Avianca
• TAM Airlines (TAM Linhas Aéreas)

Heliports

• 16 (2007)
• 13 (2010)

See also

• Rail transport by country

References

• CIA - The World Factbook - Brazil - Transportation