The Brasília Metro has launched a tender for the purchase of 15 new electric trains, in a contract estimated at approximately BRL 1 billion, equivalent to about EUR 170 million. The tender comes at a time when Chinese manufacturers are strengthening their presence in Brazil’s rail market, intensifying competition with international suppliers already established in the country.
Companhia do Metropolitano do Distrito Federal (Metrô-DF), the operator of the metro in Brasília, Brazil’s capital, has launched a bidding process for the procurement of 15 new electric trains.
The contract is estimated at approximately BRL 1 billion (about EUR 170 million). The process involves the integrated contracting of engineering services for the development, production, integration, testing, commissioning, and operational delivery of the trains.
Each train will be an EMU consisting of four railcars, in an A+B+B+A configuration, and will be intended for operation on the Metrô-DF network.
Interested companies may submit bids by September 15 at 10:00 a.m.
The procurement comes alongside the network expansion
The purchase of the new trains is part of plans to expand the Brasília metro.
Currently, Metrô-DF is carrying out expansion work on Line 1 and is preparing a tender for the extension to Ceilândia. This extension is expected to add approximately 6 km to the existing network and include new stations.
At the same time, the Federal District government has announced progress in studies for the construction of the future Line 2, a project estimated at BRL 20.4 billion (EUR 3.4 billion). The new line is expected to be approximately 60 km long.
An increasingly competitive market
The tender in Brasília comes at a time when the Brazilian rolling stock market is becoming increasingly competitive between Chinese manufacturers and international companies that have long been established in the country.
In recent years, manufacturers such as CRRC, the Chinese rolling stock group have gained ground in tenders for subway and passenger trains in Brazil.
This trend is putting pressure on competitors such as Alstom, the French rolling stock manufacturer, CAF, the Spanish manufacturer, and Marcopolo, a Brazilian company best known for public transportation vehicles.
A recent episode in this competition took place on the Salvador metro, where CRRC Changchun won the tender to supply 10 trains with a bid of BRL 490.4 million (EUR 83 million). Alstom’s bid had been BRL 614.4 million (EUR 104 million).
Initially, the bidding committee announced CRRC’s disqualification, citing failure to meet a requirement related to accreditation with the BNDES, Brazil’s national bank for economic and social development. Following appeals filed by the Chinese company, CRRC Changchun’s victory was published in the Official Gazette.
Abifer Calls for an In-Person Bidding Process
In this context, Abifer, the Brazilian Railway Industry Association, argues that the bidding process in Brasília should be conducted in person, not via electronic bidding.
“We are talking about a contract involving a large volume of resources and sophisticated equipment. That is why we must ensure complete transparency in the process. In electronic tenders, it is often unclear who is actually behind the submitted bids,” stated Vicente Abate, president of Abifer.
Abifer’s position reflects the concern of companies already established in Brazil regarding the growing Chinese presence in the local market.
Local and international manufacturers that have been operating in the country for some time argue that some Chinese companies benefit from favorable terms regarding financing, taxes, and labor costs—including through state support—which gives them a competitive advantage.
China, a Key Partner for Brazil
The dispute in the railway sector is part of a broader economic context. Chinese companies have expanded their presence in Brazil across multiple sectors, ranging from industry and infrastructure to electric vehicles.
At the same time, China is Brazil’s main trading partner. This reality limits the Brazilian government’s room to maneuver, as it seeks to avoid diplomatic tensions with Beijing.
According to analysts quoted in the Brazilian press, the trade relationship with China is also important for counterbalancing pressure from the United States, in a context marked by tariff threats.
For the Brasília Metro, however, the immediate priority is the procurement of the 15 trains needed to modernize and expand the network. The tender could become a new test of the balance of power between Chinese manufacturers and traditional Brazilian rolling stock suppliers.
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