The return of modern trams as a technology for sustainable development in Brazilian cities.

Currently, Brazil has only two electric Light Rail Vehicle systems in operation, one in Rio de Janeiro and another in Baixada Santista. However, a new wave of projects is redefining the national urban mobility landscape.

Efficiency in travel is a measure of urban progress, according to thinkers who associate the advancement of cities with efficient transportation. In this context, modern trams, now known as VLTs, return to the public debate with renewed vigor.

Contemporary VLTs differ from the old nostalgic trams. They are low-floor, accessible, and silent vehicles, powered by overhead catenary and designed to operate on semi-segregated tracks. They combine the lightness of a tram with the capacity of a surface metro, with a significantly lower deployment cost than that of an underground metro.

A recent survey by Via Trolebus identified nine projects at different stages of development, distributed throughout Brazil. The list includes initiatives from early stages to proposals with tenders scheduled for the coming years.

The most ambitious project is the Campinas VLT, which foresees 44 kilometers of tracks, divided into two branches of 22 kilometers each. There will be 18 stations serving three municipalities, connecting the future North Axis Intercity Train, the center of Campinas, and Viracopos Airport.

The tender is scheduled for 2027, and operation may start in the next decade. The system will adopt the low-floor and overhead catenary concept, international standards that ensure universal accessibility and energy efficiency.

In São Paulo, the Bonde São Paulo plans two lines connecting the historic center to Bom Retiro, with studies for electric, hydrogen, or even the ART (Pneumatic Light Vehicle) model. The Line 14-Ônix, between Guarulhos and Santo André, measures 32 kilometers, with 22 stations and semi-segregated operation, including elevated and tunnel sections.

Sorocaba plans 25 kilometers of VLT with 13 stations, utilizing the existing railway network and creating a connection with the West Axis Intercity Train (TIC) towards São Paulo. In Curitiba, the project will replace the BRT of the Boqueirão Axis, extending to Afonso Pena Airport, with physical and fare integration with the metropolitan system.

Bauru has formed a working group to assess the feasibility of a VLT that uses part of the local railway line, with study contracting planned for 2025. In Niterói, the proposal is a 5-kilometer route with 9 stations, connecting the Barreto neighborhood to João Goulart Terminal, in the Center.

Vitória and Vila Velha plan three VLT lines with double track and electric vehicles, physically and fare-integrated with other modes of the Metropolitan Region. Florianópolis, in turn, resumed the Plamus studies to implement a VLT that complements existing systems.

These projects transcend the simple issue of transport, representing instruments for urban requalification and for inducing transit-oriented development. The VLT, with its low floor and semi-segregated track, provides a stable, silent, and accessible travel experience, humanizing public space.

The current moment is optimistic for experts. As highlighted by Revista Ferroviária, Ana Patrizia Lira, executive director of ANPTrilhos, points out that there are projects in various phases, which is crucial to achieving consistent development of the rail sector in the country.

However, financing remains the main bottleneck, as investments are significant and the return is generally long-term. Public-private partnership models and the use of ancillary real estate revenues have been the most discussed mechanisms to balance the books.

The rebirth of modern trams in Brazil signals a shift in mobility policy, which for decades prioritized cars and buses. Now, rails are again seen as the backbone of more sustainable, civilized, and humane cities.

Editorial Staff