World Bank funds Brazil rail project

The World Bank has agreed a US$ 600 million loan to finance the upgrading and greening the Rio de Janeiro Urban Rail System. The project will see the current urban rail system transformed into a surface metro system.

The loan will help finance an additional 60 new, four-car trains, increasing service availability and quality, as well as reducing travel times.

It will also finance the development of a sustainable transport strategy for the State of Rio de Janeiro, including reducing the overall carbon footprint of the system, and the establishment of a natural disaster monitoring centre.