TCU reviews extension of railway concession; investment exceeds R$ 20 billion

Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica is approximately 7,220 km long and connects several states (ANTT/Disclosure)

The final version of the proposal for the early extension of the concession agreement for Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica (FCA) is awaiting review by the Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU) before it can be ratified.

On the 30th, the Agência Nacional de Transportes Terrestres (ANTT) forwarded the case to the Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU) after approving the extension. The adjusted concession plan provides for estimated investments of R\$ 24 billion over a 30-year period.

The procedure consolidates the review of the contract renewal proposal following the incorporation of technical adjustments and guidelines established by the Ministério dos Transportes through Portaria 344/2026.

The approved proposal provides for the operation of approximately 4,100 kilometers of railway sections and the return of approximately 3,100 kilometers of segments classified as having low operational viability, with compensation estimated at R\$ 4.2 billion to the Federal Government, according to the proposed model.

The returned sections may be subject to other instruments provided for under the legislation, including railway authorizations, subject to the applicable procedures. The proposal also provides for the allocation of 1% of capital investments to initiatives focused on decarbonization and resilient infrastructure through the Programa Carbono Zero.

The proposal for the extension of the FCA concession is part of the set of railway-sector modernization processes currently underway within the Federal Government. Following approval by the Diretoria Colegiada, the case proceeds to review by the Tribunal de Contas da União, in accordance with the stages established for this type of contracting.

FCA is approximately 7,220 km long and connects the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Bahia, Sergipe and Goiás, as well as the Distrito Federal. With the early extension and the return of uneconomic sections, FCA will have a total length of 5,469 km.

Contacted for comment, the Ministério dos Transportes and ANTT provided no further details regarding the FCA process.