Brazilian Bullet Train: Campinas>São Paulo>Rio de Janeiro

It looks like the planned bullet train connecting Campinas, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro is becoming a reality. President Lula announced today that planning will go into the next phase possibly in october of 2008 and companies will be asked to submit proposals for the US$ 9 Billion project. Currently viability studies are being prepared that should be presented by end of april. The completion of the project is supposed to be in 5 years from the start of construction. This train should greatly improve business travel and tourism between Rio and Sao Paulo and might sway business travellers to switch from the airplane to the railway.

It will also connect both capitals to Campinas that has south americas largest freight airport. The viracopos airport in Campinas is also being expanded and is being promoted as Sao Paulo’s future passenger airport. With the high speed train it should be possible to get to Viracopos faster than to Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport by car. Aside from that there are plans for a new airport in Sao Paulo as well as a high speed metro directly from downtown to Guarulhos as well. At the moment the only public transportation to Sao Paulo’s International airport is by Airport Express Bus.