Rio de Janeiro is pushing for high-speed-rail service in time for the 2014 Olympic Games. The Brazilian government plans to issue a concessionaire contract in May for a 510.7-kilometer-long high-speed-rail system to link the cities of Campinas, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Construction costs are estimated at $19.3 billion, and the term of the concession is 40 years.
The Trem de Alta Velocidade (TAV) line will include nine stations, 90.9 km of tunnels and 107.8 km of bridges. Public consultations have been completed, and the government is waiting for Federal Audit Court approval of the project. The following firms have already expressed interest in forming consortiums to participate in the tender: France (Alstom), Germany (Voith Siemens), Italy (Ansaldo Breda), Korea (Hyundai), Japan (Mitsubishi, Kawasaki, Toshiba and Hitachi) and the Chinese company China Railway Materials (CRM). In Brazil, the Bertin Group is contemplating teaming with Samsung and Hyundai.