VLI soybean transport on Northern Corridor rises 10% in 2025

Brazilian logistics company VLI reported a roughly 10% increase in soybean transport along its Northern Corridor in 2025, highlighting growing demand for rail logistics in the country’s expanding agricultural frontier.

The company moved 9.0 billion tonne-kilometers (TKU) of soybeans during the year, up from 8.2 billion TKU in 2024. The figure represents a 67% increase compared with 2020, underscoring the importance of the company’s integrated logistics system in supporting the growth of Brazilian agribusiness.

The Northern Corridor connects the states of Maranhão and Tocantins and captures cargo from across the Matopiba agricultural region — comprising Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia.

“The growing results achieved by VLI in the region reflect our commitment to operational excellence, planning and safety,” said Gabriel Fonseca, VLI’s general commercial manager for grains and fertilizers. “Infrastructure is essential to ensure Brazil remains a key supplier of commodities to global markets while strengthening the national economy.”

In addition to soybeans, the corridor handles commodities such as fuels, corn, corn and soybean meal, pulp and pig iron.

Over a ten-year period from 2015 to 2024, total cargo volumes transported by VLI in the region rose from 5.8 billion TKU to 14.4 billion TKU, an increase of nearly 150%.

To support cargo flows, the Northern Corridor operates trains of up to 240 railcars in a configuration known as “tricotrol,” consisting of three blocks of 80 wagons, each pulled by its own locomotive.

The train can carry up to 30,000 tonnes in a single trip, significantly boosting productivity and efficiency in transporting harvests from the region.

The tricotrol system also offers improved energy efficiency and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to VLI, the train records emissions of 2.85 kg of CO₂ per liter of diesel, about 12% lower than the 3.2 kg average for conventional train configurations.

Preparations for the 2026 crop

VLI’s integrated logistics network is already operating at full capacity to handle soybean exports from the 2026 harvest.

Brazil’s main agricultural export commodity is transported through the company’s three main logistics corridors: Southeast and East — which use the Centro-Atlântica Railway to access the Port of Santos and ports in Espírito Santo — and the Northern Corridor.

“The concentration of harvesting in the first quarter increases pressure on transportation, especially along longer routes,” Fonseca said.

“The integration between railways, terminals and ports brings greater predictability and efficiency for customers during the period of highest logistical competition, ensuring grain reaches ports reliably while also reducing emissions.”

Source: VLI

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