BYD Cloud Rail is officially connected to Congonhas Airport! São Paulo Gold Line 17 opens to traffic

Rail Transit Exhibition News The government of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, officially delivered the Metro Line 17 (monorail system) on Tuesday, March 31 ), which connects directly to the existing rail network at Aeroporto de Congonhas, allowing seamless connections to Morumbi station on line 9 (Esmeralda line) and Campo Belo station on line 5 (Lilás violet line). This marks the completion of a long-delayed project, providing residents and travelers in the greater São Paulo area with new and convenient travel options.

According to the state government news agency Agência SP, the project has a total investment of R$5.97 billion, a total length of 6.7 kilometers, an initial 7 stations (Washington Louis Station is not open for the time being), and is expected to carry about 100,000 passengers per day when operating at full capacity. The line was originally planned to be completed before the 2014 World Cup, but was stalled for various reasons until construction resumed in September 2023 under the leadership of the current governor, Tarcísio de Freitas. Governor Tarcisio said at the delivery ceremony: "Today we are delivering not just a line, but ending a cycle of delays.

At the delivery ceremony, the governor also authorized the start of the line expansion project. The new extension is 4.6 kilometers long and will include four new stations: Américo Maurano, Vila Paulista, Panamby and Paraisópolis. This will be the first time that the large community of Paraisopolis will be connected to the rail transit system, and will be connected to Line 4 (Amarela Yellow Line) in the future, further improving social equity and regional accessibility. Operational arrangements and technical highlights

The line initially adopts a transitional operation mode, and passengers are open to boarding from 10:00 to 15:00 every day from Monday to Friday. On the day of delivery (March 31), due to the ceremony, it will be specially extended to 16:00 to 20:00. In the future, it will gradually expand to full-time operation from 4:40 a.m. to 0:00 the next day.

At present, there are 2 BYD SkyRail monorails, each consisting of 5 carriages and carrying 616 passengers. A total of 14 trains (all made in China) have been purchased on the entire line, with an investment of about 989 million reais, of which 11 have arrived at the Agua Esprada depot, 8 have completed safety tests and are put into use, and the rest will arrive at the port one after another.

The train adopts a CBTC signaling system, supports unmanned driving (UTO) mode, and is equipped with air conditioning, LED lighting, surveillance cameras, fire detection and suppression systems, as well as tire-based traction and on-board battery packs, so it can run safely even when the power is lost. The station is designed with barrier-free accessibility in mind, equipped with elevators, escalators, tactile floors, adaptive toilets and platform screen doors. At the same time, there are bicycle parking facilities (including a dedicated bicycle storage area at Morumby Station), and it is integrated with surrounding bus stations, taxi/ride-hailing pick-up and drop-off areas and bicycle lanes. The inter-station flyover and the Congonhas Airport Tunnel were initially open to all pedestrians to facilitate access to the surrounding area.

The monorail is electrically driven, which is expected to reduce pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions by about 25,937 tons per year, save 11.7 million liters of fuel, effectively reduce the use of private cars, alleviate traffic congestion, and promote green travel. The governor emphasized that the delivery of Line 17 is only the first step, and the government will continue to promote the expansion project with a firm and responsible attitude, so that more citizens can enjoy efficient and sustainable rail transit services.

Rail Transit Exhibition booth reservation

Free registration for the rail transit exhibition