China and Brazil signed a memorandum of understanding to study a transcontinental railroad connecting Peru’s Pacific coast with Brazil’s Atlantic coast, as part of a strategic export route, Brazil’s Ministry of Transport said on Tuesday. Chinese expert hailed this move as a key factor in pushing forward the railway project advancing infrastructure links between China and South America.

The Brazilian ministry, and China Railway Economic and Planning Research Institute of China State Railway Group will be responsible for coordinating the project, conduct feasibility and environmental studies, the ministry announced on X on Tuesday.

The feasibility study will cover technical, economic, logistical, and environmental factors to ensure the long-term sustainability of the route, the ministry said.

The railway project will cross Brazilian states such as Bahia, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Rondônia, Acre, before reaching Chancay, in Peru, connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Once completed, the project could shorten export times from Brazil to Asia by up to 10 days. The project also brings greater security to attract investment in Brazil’s highways and railways; and promotes deeper regional and international integration with countries in Latin America and Asia.

The inauguration of Chancay Port in Peru has reignited Brazil’s interest in enhancing connectivity with China, Wang Youming, director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday, noting that China and Brazil’s decision to study the transcontinental railway project is a key step in advancing the cross-continental railroad project.

Source: Globaltimes