With R$12.3 billion, BNDES supports construction of Line 6 of the São Paulo subway

This press release was published in English using an automatic translation system

The Director of Infrastructure and Climate Change at the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Luciana Costa, participated, this Tuesday, February 4, in São Paulo (SP), in the celebration of the arrival of the northern tunnel boring machine to the future Brasilândia Station and the completion of the construction of the northern section of Line 6-Laranja of the São Paulo metro. The project, which requires a total investment of R$17 billion, has financing from BNDES in the amount of R$12.3 billion.

Of the total financed by the Bank, R$6.9 billion were contracted with the Concessionária Linha Universidade (CLU) and R$5.4 billion with the Government of the State of São Paulo.

The tunnel boring machine (TBM), or tatuzão, as it is popularly known, is a 2,000-ton piece of equipment, over 100 meters long, and with an excavation diameter of 10 meters. The equipment carried out drilling between the Freguesia do Ó and Brasilândia stations, in the northern section of the line.

Line 6 will have 15.3 km of permanent track, connecting Brasilândia, a deprived region of the city, to the center of São Paulo, with integrations with lines 1 and 4 of the Metro, and lines 7 and 8 of the CPTM. In total, there will be 15 stations and passenger transport with 22 trains (132 carriages). The works are advanced, with partial operations scheduled to begin in 2026 and full completion in 2027, with an expected demand of 600,000 people per working day.

“Metro Line 6 will significantly reduce travel time for those living in Brasilândia to the city center. Today, this journey that takes about an hour and a half will be completed in less than thirty minutes. Improving the quality of life of Brazilians is a priority for President Lula's government. In addition to reducing time, the line will facilitate access to jobs and leisure for populations from underprivileged areas of São Paulo, which are located in the central region of the city”, explains BNDES director Luciana Costa.

The project approved by the Bank will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas and particulate matter emissions, given that the subway is one of the most sustainable modes of transport. The estimate is a reduction of more than 200 thousand tons of CO2 per year. A forest area the size of 33 Maracanã stadiums would be needed to neutralize this volume of emissions. In addition, the project foresees social investments in communities surrounding the stations, such as training and inclusion actions, mainly to increase the female workforce, both in the construction and in the future operation of the concession.

History of support – Since 2000, BNDES has approved R$37.7 billion in financing for São Paulo's rail transport system to benefit 3.6 million people per day upon completion of all works. In total, nine lines were supported with different purposes: modernization, expansion and even creation of new lines. Most of the works are already finished. Across Brazil, the Bank has financed R$65 billion in urban mobility projects since 2000.

All major subways and urban trains in Brazil have received or are receiving support from BNDES through credit or project structuring. The Bank has already supported subways and urban trains in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Fortaleza, Federal District, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Natal, Maceió, João Pessoa and Porto Alegre.