Waterway and railway network will have investments from two states

The governments of the states of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul are aligning efforts for coordinated investments in the railway that crosses the region of Araçatuba and on the Tietê-Paraná Waterway. The partnership was a topic of discussion between the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), and the governor of Mato Grosso do Sul, Eduardo Riedel (PSDB), during a meeting on the 28th, held at Palácio Bandeirantes, headquarters of the São Paulo Executive Branch.

During the official visit, the governors formalized a document for the reactivation of the Malha Oeste railway and the expansion of the Tietê-Paraná waterway. Both roads represent important transport hubs that boost the economic infrastructure of both states. It is worth mentioning that the border between Mato Grosso do Sul and São Paulo is the second largest in length when compared to the state’s other borders.

With regard to the Tietê-Paraná waterway, the progress of works in Avanhandava. These works will allow navigation on the waterway from Mato Grosso do Sul as well. Governor Tarcísio de Freitas informed that the work is underway, with completion expected in 2026.

The meeting also resulted in investments for the Mato Grosso do Sul section of the Malha Oeste, where the railway line will be broad gauge, and an evaluation of the São Paulo section, which despite having a lower volume of shipments, could be suitable for intercity trains. .

Recently, the Leaf of the Region reported that the railway that crosses the Araçatuba region can be divided into two parts. This division aims to facilitate the transfer of administration to the private sector or state governments. São Paulo would be responsible for the stretch between Mairinque (in the Bauru region) and Castilho, while Mato Grosso do Sul would take over the stretch from Três Lagoas to Dourados. In total, it is almost two thousand kilometers long.

This is one of the solutions currently being studied by ANTT (National Land Transport Agency). Another possibility is to keep the entire stretch under a single operation, which could be made possible through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). This PPP could even use resources that Rumo, the current concessionaire that is no longer interested in the stretch, has to pay, through compensation between its assets and liabilities in this concession and others.

Malha Oeste, which faced precarious operation since the beginning of the concession process in the 1990s, was practically paralyzed by Rumo in recent years. In 2021, the company obtained approval to return the section in an amicable agreement, and the government authorized studies for re-tendering by ANTT (National Land Transport Agency).

with Campo Grande News