Brazil’s Finance Minister, Fernando Haddad, has announced the approval of Niterói light rail project during a meeting with the Mayor of Niterói, Rodrigo Neves on 27 August.
The project is approved under the Federal Government’s new “PAC Seleções” programme and will receive a guaranteed funding of BRL 450 million (USD 83.4 million) which will be used for the construction work.
“The Minister has just signed off on the financing for Niterói’s LRT, which was approved under the PAC. This project will make mobility more sustainable, reduce traffic, and improve the quality of life for the people of Niterói,” said Rodrigo Neves.
Niterói light rail project covers the construction of a 5 km line with ten stops connecting Barreto to the city centre serving the neighbourhoods of Barreto, Engenhoca, Santana, São Lourenço, and Central Niterói.
The project will transform urban transport in the region and “and bring greater quality of life to the northern zone of Niterói and local workers. At the same time, we’ll create an interchange station and reduce the number of buses entering Niterói from neighbouring cities,” Mayor Rodrigo Neves said.
A pre-feasibility study for the project has been financed by French Development Agency (AFD) and CODATU and carried out in 2018 by the consortium made up of Egis Rail, Egis Engenharia e Consultoria and Sinergia. This included a demand study, identification of the route and mode of transport as well as an economic, technical and institutional analysis of the project. CODATU provided its support to the Municipality of Niteroi in the follow-up of this study, the revision of the deliverables and the exchanges with the consultant.
This study established that the tram is the most suitable mode to meet the demand of 5,700 passengers per hour per day as well as the requirements of comfort, safety, environmental impacts and urban improvement. The technical, economic and environmental feasibility study of the Niteroi light rail project is financed by a FASEP (Fund for Studies and Assistance to the Private Sector) from the French government and managed by CAF. The call for tenders took place in August 2020 and the winning consortium is the one led by the DVDH consulting firm, associated with SCE, Transamo, Richez_Associés and independent Brazilian consultants.
Share on:
