RIO DE JANEIRO

VIDEOS

Above: YouTubeCA video - The LightRail in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2022 (VLT Carioca) - (Ground Level Powered!) - Length: 10:51 mins.	Above: YouTubeCA video - Santa Teresa Tram, Rio de Janeiro - Length: 13:26 mins.	Above: YouTubeCA video - Metro Rio 101: All You Need To Know About The Subway in Rio - Length: 11:27 mins.	Above: YouTubeCA video - Corcovado Rack Railway in Rio de Janeiro (the train to Christ) - Length: 7:13 mins.

PHOTOS

MAP

I created the above map by overlaying an OpenStreetMap (OSM) map with my own data. Copyright on the OSM map is © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under a CC-BY-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 licence).

Please note that the OSM map used as a template for this map corresponds to the situation at the time the map was downloaded and may show features that did not exist at the time the GS Tram Site is supposed to show. In particular, it may show bridges and highways that were built later.

ROUTES

LRT ROUTES

Operator: VLT Carioca

Note: The entire LRT network is ground level powered, thus operating without overhead wires.

SANTA TERESA TOURIST TRAMWAY

Operator: Companhia Estadual de Engenharia de Transportes e Logística

METRO ROUTES

Operator: MetrôRio

RACK RAILWAY

Operator: Rio de Janeiro Tramway, Light and Power Limited

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM

NETWORK LENGTH

• Light rail: 28 km.
• Metro: 57 km.
• Santa Teresa tramway: 6 km.
• Corcovado Rack Railway: 3.8 km.

HISTORY

• Urban tramways (first generation): (donkey-drawn) 26 March 1859 - 1862; (steam): 1862 - 1865; (horse-drawn:) 1868 - 1910; (electric): 8 Oct. 1892 - today (since 1968: only the Santa Teresa line).
• Light rail (second generation): 6 June 2016 - today.
• Metrô lines: 5 March 1979 - today.
• Rack railway: 9 Oct. 1884 - today (steam-operated until 8 March 1910, electric since).

GAUGE

• Urban tramways (first generation): 1100 mm. (incl. the Santa Teresa tramway) and 1435 mm (in the past, some other gauges as well)
• Light rail (second generation): 1435 mm.
• Metrô: 1600 mm.
• Rack railway: 1000 mm.

SOURCES

PRINT

• "Rio de Janeiro: LRT revitalises a world class city", Tramways & Urban Transit, July 2024 (87: 1039), p.251-253.
• "Rio plans 250km light rail network" [news item], Tramways & Urban Transit, Sept. 2022 (85: 1017), p.324.
• "Rio's trams will run for the Olympics" [news item], Tramways & Urban Transit, July 2016 (79: 943), p.244.
• Rodriguez, H.S. A formação das estradas de ferro no Rio de Janeiro: O resgate da sua memória [The development of railways in Rio de Janeiro: Recalling its memory]. Rio de Janeiro: Memória do Trem, 2004.
• Wansbeek, C.J. "Rio de Janeiro: City of contrasts, quality metro", Tramways & Urban Transit, March 2005 (68: 807), p.92-95.

WIKIS

• Bonde de Santa Teresa
• Metrô do Rio de Janeiro
• Rio de Janeiro Light Rail
• Trem do Corcovado
• VLT Carioca

WEB SITES

• Bondes da Light do Rio de Janeiro
• Metrô Rio
• Rio de Janeiro (on UrbanRail.Net)
• Rio de Janeiro (chapter in the book The tramways of Brazil, by Allen Morrison)
• Trem do Corcovado
• VLT Carioca

Copyright Gabor Sandi 1998-2025

Disclaimer: Everything on this site was written and/or prepared at the author's discretion. The author has tried to be accurate where facts are presented, but this does not mean that these facts are necessarily accurate. People needing more reliable information should refer to appropriate sources presented, on the Internet or elsewhere, by authoritative professional or academic bodies.

To get in touch with the webmaster, send an e-mail to g_sandi at hotmail.com.

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