Rail freight transport in Brazil reached a record 555.48 million metric tons in 2025, a 2.57% increase from 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Transport. The volumes reflect cargo moved across the country\u2019s rail network for both domestic supply and international trade.<\/p>\n
The result marks the third consecutive annual record for rail freight volumes in Brazil and is part of the federal government\u2019s strategy to expand national logistics infrastructure. For 2026, the government plans to hold eight rail auctions, with projected investments of 140 billion reais ($27.7 billion). Total investments in the sector are expected to reach 600 billion reais over time.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the third consecutive year we have broken the record for cargo transported by rail in Brazil, at a time when we are also seeing historic levels of private investment in the sector,\u201d said Leonardo Ribeiro, national secretary for rail transport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese results show that planning, regulatory predictability and dialogue with the market are producing concrete outcomes. But there is still much to do, and we intend to move further forward with the National Rail Policy,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The ministry said its efforts have focused on improving land-based logistics chains so that commodities moving across the country can use infrastructure that offers lower costs and greater efficiency.<\/p>\n
For long-distance routes, for example, grain produced in Mato Grosso \u2014 Brazil\u2019s largest agricultural state \u2014 can be transported by rail to ports in the Southeast, reducing truck traffic on highways and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n
Data compiled by state-owned logistics company Infra S.A. show that the agricultural sector posted the strongest growth in rail shipments in 2025, rising 4.62%, followed by other cargo categories, which increased 3.43%.<\/p>\n
Iron ore remained the dominant commodity, totaling 401.35 million tons transported by rail, up 2.72% from the previous year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe expansion of rail freight highlights the strategic role of this transport mode amid the continued growth of economic activity,\u201d Ribeiro said. \u201cIt is not just a trend but a crucial logistics infrastructure for the country\u2019s development in the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brazil currently has 14 active rail concessions and is working to advance projects that stalled under previous administrations. The government has introduced the first National Rail Concessions Policy, aimed at enabling the largest pipeline of rail assets to be auctioned.<\/p>\n
The ministry also issued the first rail authorization after revising Brazil\u2019s rail regulatory framework in 2023.<\/p>\n
Under the new concession model, the government said investments of about 140 billion reais will be guided by planning, governance and sustainability principles while maintaining fiscal responsibility.<\/p>\n
Authorities are also developing solutions for five rail concessions nearing the end of their contracts: Malha Sul (covering S\u00e3o Paulo, Paran\u00e1, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul), Malha Oeste (Mato Grosso do Sul and S\u00e3o Paulo), Ferrovia Centro-Atl\u00e2ntica (spanning several southeastern and northeastern states), Ferrovia Tereza Cristina in Santa Catarina, and the Transnordestina Log\u00edstica network in the Northeast.<\/p>\n
In parallel, the Ministry of Transport submitted guidelines to the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT) for the first public call to revive idle rail segments. The initiative will offer the Minas\u2013Rio corridor \u2014 currently classified as an inactive line \u2014 to private investors.<\/p>\n
The program could help restore up to 10,000 kilometers of Brazil\u2019s federal rail network.<\/p>\n
Rail investment has also accelerated in recent years, with about 40 billion reais invested between 2023 and 2025 \u2014 roughly 60% more than the 25 billion reais invested between 2019 and 2022.<\/p>\n
One of the key projects is the Transnordestina railway in northeastern Brazil, where construction resumed in 2023. The project is about 71% complete and is expected to cost around 15 billion reais, of which 11.3 billion reais have already been invested.<\/p>\n
The government expects the first phase of the railway to be completed in 2027, with the second phase scheduled for 2028.<\/p>\n