From Animal Traction to LRV: Public Rail Transportation in Rio de Janeiro

This case investigated the evolution of public transportation tramway system in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from animal traction to the newly Light Rail Vehicle (LRV). It was originally designed to integrate the network modals, rail and waterways. Today, it interconnects bus lines, rail, water, metro, BRT, cruise lines, even cable cars, within a city of approximately seven million inhabitants. The powered animal traction system was launched in 1859, substituted by steam and then electrical vehicles (bondes). Extinct in 1963, the tramway network was then substituted for bus lines. In 2016, for the Olympics, the newly LRV system began transporting approximately 70 thousand passengers per day, on a 15-kilometer network. The newly tramway system abolished entirely catenary overhead line, powered by Alstoms APS ground-level power supply system. LRVs. This single case presents the history of the Tramway system in Rio, as well as featuring the analysis and discussion of the network transport integration and impact to the current Rio public transportation system, in comparison to past ones. Recommendations for future research complete the present work.