Bitolas ferroviárias no Brasil: uma análise da possibilidade de integração da malha nacional

Abstract

In the Brazilian freight transportation matrix, road transport predominates, followed by rail and cabotage. As Brazil is a country with a large territorial extension, an efficient transport system is essential. In relation to road transport, the costs of the freight by railroad operators can be 50% lowcost, in addition to offering more safety for dangerous goods transport. Comparing the Brazilian rail network to the rail network of the countries with greater territorial extension, Brazil has a very low rail network. On the other hand, there is still a lack of integration of the railway network due to the different railway gauges, as a consequence of the historical process of national railway construction. Therefore, this work aims to understand the scenario of gauge incompatibility in Brazil and analyze the alternatives for mitigating the lack of integration of the rail network. This work is classified as exploratory based on bibliographic research, which covers aspects of general and rail freight transport, technical aspects, the historical process, and the international scenario. In addition, statistical data and technical information based on documentary research provided by the public and private agencies relating to national transport are considered. This work also relies on participatory research, with perspectives from professionals and departments involved in Brazilian rail freight transport. With the analysis of the data and information collected, the limitations of a train traveling through the entire national rail network were presented. Also, the low distance traveled by trains in Brazilian freight transport and the nonuse of railroads for the internal market transport, even though Brazil is an extensive country. Thus, there are economic impacts, low attractiveness to rail freight transport, and consequently, the low participation in the matrix of freight transport. Among the alternatives for mitigating the lack of network integration, the conversion of gauges for integration is compared in terms of technical aspects and costs, in order of magnitude. It is still presented a possibility of trajectory for the implementation of the mixed gauge to mitigate the lack of national integration. It is concluded that the mixed gauge would be efficient for mitigating the lack of integration of the Brazilian railway network and the use of metric gauge rolling stock for transport in the internal market. However, it is considered a transitional measure toward the standardization in the railway network for the wide gauge, in the long term.