The China Railway Group Limited held a groundbreaking ceremony to start construction of its first railway project in Brazil - the FIOL Railway Project, in Ilheus, Bahia, on July 3 local time.
The FIOL Railway Project is the first railway project to be launched by the China Railway Group Limited in Brazil. The first section, spanning 126 kilometers and with an estimated construction period of 36 months, is invested by BAMIN at a budget of 1.5 billion reais (about $306.14 million).
The China Railway No. 10 Engineering Group Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of the China Railway Group Limited and Brazil's Tiisa, formed the TCR-10 consortium to undertake the construction.
The FIOL railway spans a total length of about 1,500 kilometers and will serve as the main transportation artery connecting Brazil's hinterland with the coastal area. It will be connected with the North-South Railway and is expected to start operation in 2027.
Once completed, the annual cargo transportation volume is estimated to reach 60 million tons, which will greatly improve Brazil's transport infrastructure and support the development of mining and agriculture in the central and western parts of the country.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
