Estrada de Ferro Carajas
| Estrada de Ferro Carajas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Train with iron ore on the route from Carajás to the port of Ponta da Madeira
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| Route number : | EF-315 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Route length: | 892 km | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gauge : | 1600 mm ( Irish track ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Estrada de Ferro Carajás SA is a Brazilian railway company.
It is operated by the mining group Vale , consists of a stretch of 892 km and connects the Brazilian communities of São Luís , Santa Inês , Açailândia (in the state of Maranhão ), Marabá and Parauapebas in the state of Pará . The route is one of the few rail connections in Brazil that also transport passengers (approx. 1500 per day). The most important cargo on this route is the iron ore from Carajás , which is mined by the Vale Group and via the seaport of Ponta da Madeiraat São Luís is exported all over the world. Around 50 million tons are transported annually.
history
The railway line was inaugurated in 1985 and connects the Serra dos Carajás in the southwest with the port of Porto de Itaqui in the Brazilian state of Maranhão . Passenger traffic was established between Parauapebas in the state of Pará and São Luís , the capital of the state of Maranhão. It is an economical alternative to driving on the poorly developed roads in this state. That is why there are also considerations to expand the line, which is still single-tracked today, to two tracks. There are always major delays in arrival in both directions because the trains have to wait for each other at certain crossing points. The Carajás Railway is also known for having the longest trains in the world, which can count up to 330 wagons and be pulled by three to four locomotives.
