Street car back in Rio as Light Rail Transit after 50 years

Half a century after being abolished in virtually the whole of the city—only the vehicles serving the district of Santa Teresa survived—the street car is back in Rio de Janeiro in a new, technologically revamped form.

Inaugurated Sunday (Jun. 5) by Mayor Eduardo Paes, the Light Rail Transit, locally referred to by its Portuguese acronym VLT, is to start operations piecemeal with its first line, connecting the Novo Rio Bus Terminal to the Santos Dumont Airport, by June 30, so that the population may grow accustomed to the trains in the city's port area and downtown.

The first line is expected to enter full operation on July 1. The fare costs as much as that of regular buses—R$3.80 (some US$1.10).

“On the World Environment Day, this is a vehicle that represents the future of the city: pollution-free and silent, it takes cars out of the streets—in other words, it's everything we want for Rio de Janeiro in terms of state-of-the-art technology,” said Paes in an interview before boarding the train, named after writer João do Rio (1881-1921).

According to the mayor, the VLT is a mobility initiative inspired by the upcoming Olympic Games. “The VLT serves to integrate all transport modes in the city and changes the way we look at Rio's downtown area. It's an effort to turn the city center once again into a place where people come, visit, and cherish, and might come to live here in the future as well.”

Paes said he hopes tourists seize the opportunity provided by the VLT to learn about the history behind the city's downtown area. “There's a whole list of the most beautiful cultural centers, buildings and churches here. The formation of Brazil started in downtown Rio. Here's where the Portuguese royal family landed. As for those flying in from São Paulo, the VLT at the Santos Dumont Airport will let them enjoy the city center to the fullest.”

The vehicle

Electrically powered, Rio's VLT requires no overhead wiring, as is also the case with similar vehicles in cities around the globe. The innovative system, which is to be found in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, gets its energy from a third rail placed between the running rails.

The second line is expected to come into operation by the end of the year, and should link the Estação das Barcas, in the Praça Quinze district, to Central do Brasil. The third line, set to run along Marechal Floriano Avenue, from Central do Brasil to the spot where it reaches the first line, on Rio Branco Avenue, should be created in 2017.

Implementation costs added up to US$332 million.

Professor Milton Teixeira, a Rio de Janeiro history expert who went on the inaugural trip, believes the news transport will bring back the pleasure of appreciating the city's downtown area.

“It's all covered in glass, giving passengers a chance to enjoy the view. And you'll also be able to do what João do Rio, who gives this train its name, suggested 110 years ago: to casually saunter through the city, savoring its beauty, becoming familiar with the neighborhoods. Because you can only love something if you know it,” he said.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira