Rail Transport in Brazil - Track Gauge

Track Gauge

The rail system in Brazil operates on four rail gauges:

  • Broad gauge (Irish gauge): 4,057 km 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauge
  • Narrow gauge (meter gauge): 23,489 km 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge
  • Dual gauge: 336 km 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) and 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauges (three rails) (1999 est.)
  • Standard gauge: 202.4 km 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) gauge:
    • line 5 of the São Paulo Metro, so that it can use "off the shelf" equipment.
    • Estrada de Ferro do Amapá in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest also used standard gauge.
  • Total: 27,882 km (1,122 km electrified); note - excludes urban rail

A 12 km section of the former 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas is retained as a heritage railway.

Read more about this topic:  Rail Transport In Brazil

Famous quotes containing the word track:

    What joy when the insouciant
    armadillo glances at us and doesn’t
    quicken his trotting
    across the track into the palm brush.
    What is this joy? That no animal
    falters, but knows what it must do?
    Denise Levertov (b. 1923)