The North-South Railroad (known by its Portuguese acronym, FNS) was inaugurated in 1996, and Vale has held the sub-concession to operate it since 2007. The railroad links Porto Franco, in inland Maranhão, Brazil, to Açailândia, in the same state, where trains transfer to the Carajás Railroad (EFC) to proceed to the Port of Itaqui.
The railroad currently extends for 200 km, out of a planned length of 700 km. Eventually, it will link the Center-West region of Brazil to the Port of Itaqui via EFC. Vale’s transport infrastructure benefits from synergies between FNS and EFC.
The goal is to form a major export corridor for grains, sugar, meat, fertilizers and fuels, in line with strong expected growth in freight movements along Brazil’s Center-North axis.
FNS’s current fleet consists of six locomotives and 440 train cars.