Rental duo for Sao Paulo metro expansion

Expansion of Sao Paulo, Brazil's metro is nearing completion at several stations. As part of the mechanic and electrical (M&E) fit-out at the Estacao Faria Lima station on Linea 4 - Amarela (Line 4 - Yellow) two Manitowoc cranes are lifting compact equipment, hand tools and fixtures and fittings into the station box.

The larger of the two, a 200 tonne capacity Grove GMK 5200 all terrain, was supplied by Sao Paulo cranes rental company Nebrasco. The smaller machine, a 30 tonne capacity National Crane 1400A boom truck, was supplied by Guindastec, also based in Sao Paulo.

Construction of the BRL 2.78 billion (US$ 1.26 billion) Line 4 started in March 2004. When complete later this year it will have 11 stations and carry 1 million people per day. Travelling roughly east/west, Line 4 will connect the outlying district of Vila Sônia with the city centre at Luz, crossing the business and commercial districts of Consolação, Avenida Paulista and Pinheiros. It will have a total length of 12.8 km and construction is being carried out in two stages.

Construction of six stations is planned during the first stage: Butantã, Pinheiros, Faria Lima, Paulista, República and Luz, in addition to the "parking yard" in Vila Sônia. The other stations - Vila Sônia, Morumbi, Fradique Coutinho, Oscar Freire and Higienópolis - will be constructed in the second stage.

When complete the line will connect with Metrô lines 1-Blue, 2-Green and 3-Red at the Luz, Paulista and República stations, respectively. There will also be connections to the Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) network at Luz and Pinheiros.CPTM operates six lines - A, B, C, D, E, and F, which cover about 250 km and serve 92 stations.

Construction is one of the first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreements in Brazil. The total cost will be shared between the state, BRL 2.04 billion (US$ 922 million), and the private sector, BRL 753 million (US$ 340 million).

The works are being carried out by the Consorcio Via Amarela joint venture - Camargo Correa, Oderbrecht, Andrade Guitaeries and Construtora OAS - for Compania Metropolitano de São Paulo.