An opinion drawn up by the technical area of the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPSP) points to the need for emergency measures to ensure the safety of Line 8-Diamond of the capital’s metropolitan train system. According to the document, it is necessary to maintain and modernize old equipment. The line, like Line 9-Esmeralda, has been operated since January 2022 by ViaMobilidade, a CCR Group company. Since the beginning of the contract, both lines have had successive failures. The Public Ministry recognizes that the company “acquires equipment for maintenance and promotes actions in order to increase passenger safety”. However, the opinion points out that these actions are “insufficient” in relation to the replacement and maintenance needs of old items used in the lines. Accidents The report was prepared to support the work of prosecutors in the investigation into two accidents that occurred on the line in 2022. In March last year, a train crashed against a protection barrier at Júlio Prestes Station, in the central region of São Paulo. In December, the same train derailed at Domingos de Moraes Station, in the west of the city. No one was injured in either situation. Rotted wood On the curve where the train derailed, it was found that the sleepers – cross pieces that support the rails – are part wood and part concrete, which generates a difference in the distance of the gauge. In addition, part of the wooden sleepers is, according to the opinion, rotten. The technicians pointed to the irregularity in the distance between the rails as one of the probable causes of the accident. The report also recommends that wooden sleepers be replaced by equivalent concrete ones, which are more durable. The need for track maintenance is also highlighted, with the replacement of various degraded or missing components, such as fastening screws and the equipment used to change train tracks. An analysis carried out by the company ViaMobilidade also shows that the electronic system that provides information to the train operator did not continuously indicate that there was a derailment. The warning appeared intermittently on the screen and the emergency brake was deactivated, which allowed the train to be moved even partially off the tracks. Therefore, the document recommends changes to this warning system so that the risk occurrence alarm does not disappear before the problem is effectively verified. Operator error Regarding the collision of the train against the protective wall, the opinion concludes that the error was made by the operator who applied the brakes after the stopping point. The company had already publicly reported that this was the cause of the accident and that the employee was fired. However, the report points out that the accident could have been avoided if the trains were already equipped with the Train Signaling and Control System (CBTC), which automatically controls trains. According to the document, the system had begun to be implemented, but it was not yet in operation. Measures to train employees who work on the line are also recommended. Fines Last year, the São Paulo State Secretariat for Metropolitan Transport applied R$ 7.9 million in fines to ViaMobilidade for breach of contract due to faults on lines 8 and 9 of trains. Another side Contacted by Agência Brasil, ViaMobilidade said that it carries out periodic inspections on both lines and “when any deviation or risk is found, it corrects it promptly and in advance for comfort, safety and a better customer experience”. According to the concessionaire’s note, in the first 12 months of operation of the lines, the investment to replace rails, damaged sleepers and aerial network equipment, patios and stations exceeds R$ 1 billion. Part of the resources was also used, according to the company, to acquire new trains.
Agência Brasil
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