BNDES backs Brado Logística rail modernization project with R$377.2 million

Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) is supporting Brado Logística with R$377.2 million in financing to modernize its rail operations, expand logistics capacity and strengthen multimodal transport in the country.

The funds will be used for infrastructure works, equipment purchases and technology development.

Of the total amount, R$305.2 million was contracted through BNDES’ FINEM railway credit line and the Mais Inovação program. Another R$72 million was secured through FINAME and will be used exclusively to purchase locomotives, allowing Brado to expand capacity.

The contracts were signed in August and September 2025, both with 10-year terms. The project is expected to generate 586 jobs, including 171 direct and 415 indirect positions across operations, supplier chains and regions close to the company’s terminals.

Carrossel Project

The main financing package will support the Carrossel Project, an initiative that combines civil works, automation and new equipment to create a central cargo distribution corridor linking Santos, Sumaré, in São Paulo state, and Rondonópolis, in Mato Grosso.

The project is designed to connect industrial hubs to Brazil’s domestic market more efficiently, reducing logistics costs and supporting sustainability through lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The equipment being acquired includes gantry cranes used to move containers at rail terminals. With higher load capacity and greater operational precision, the cranes are expected to speed up loading and unloading, while improving safety and productivity.

In addition to equipment, the project includes investments in information systems and technologies for operational monitoring and optimization, as well as physical upgrades and infrastructure works at terminals.

“Greater efficiency in container handling reduces costs and lead times, increasing competitiveness and promoting innovation in rail transport,” said BNDES President Aloizio Mercadante. “It is also more sustainable, as it can emit up to seven times less CO₂ compared with fully road-based transport.”

In the first quarter of this year, the budget forecast for the Carrossel Project was R$23 million, with investments divided across three main fronts: engineering, assets and technology.

For the April-December period, the plan is to continue the schedule already underway, with a projected budget of R$35 million. The amount will be allocated to the two terminals and to the same strategic fronts.

Brado Logística CEO Luciano Johnsson said the project marks an important step in the company’s innovation strategy.

“The project materializes our goal of combining technology and sustainability to make Brazilian multimodal transport even more modern. We are the first company in the country to carry out a project under this model, and we believe it will become a benchmark in logistics efficiency for future operations,” he said.

Expanding logistics infrastructure

The investments reinforce Brado’s role in rail logistics for containerized cargo and expand the infrastructure needed to support the growth of multimodal transport in Brazil.

Historically focused on mineral and agricultural bulk cargoes, Brazil’s railways are now increasing their participation in the movement of general cargo and higher-value products, such as manufactured goods, refrigerated cargo and import and export shipments.

The funds will be released as reimbursement for eligible expenses already incurred. As each stage of the project schedule is completed, Brado may request disbursements from BNDES for the financed amounts.

Brado is Brazil’s leading container rail operator, accounting for 86% of the country’s rail container movement measured in net tonne-kilometers (TKU). The company operates its own structure of locomotives, railcars, containers, terminals and warehouses, and maintains strategic partnerships in Brazil’s main consumer markets.

Source: Brado

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