Rhenus Leads Mega Rail Move From China to Brazil

By Simon West

Rhenus Project Logistics is leading an operation to transport 24 new train sets for an upgrade of the Metrô BH system in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte.

The sets comprising a total of 96 railway cars weighing 54 tons apiece are being shipped from the Port of Qingdao in China to the Port of Sepetiba in the state of Rio de Janeiro before beginning their inland journey to Minas Gerais.

The first delivery took just 36 days, Rhenus said.

The project is being carried out with support from COSCO Shipping Project Logistics and COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers. Working alongside ALS Customs Services, the logistics provider has also streamlined customs-transit and clearance procedures to accelerate delivery times.

Once the cargo arrives in Brazil, Rhenus takes over the full end-to-end operation, including inland transport, bonded storage and final heavy-haul delivery to the Metrô BH maintenance yard in the state of Minas Gerais.

The final stage of the project requires pinpoint precision, Rhenus said. Each train car is carefully unloaded and positioned directly onto the tracks in a millimetric operation designed to eliminate handling risks.

Prior to delivery, Rhenus carried out extensive engineering assessments and a 4,000-kilometer overland route study to determine the safest and most efficient transport corridors for the oversized cargo.

“As a strategic partner in large‑scale developments, Rhenus Projects operates with global synergy and proven expertise to handle high‑value and complex industrial cargo,” said Luis Rodríguez, director of Rhenus Project Logistics LATAM. “Latin America is experiencing a huge surge in infrastructure investment, and we are committed to delivering solutions that support this long‑term growth through our global network and our extensive regional presence throughout Latin America.”

Rhenus Project Logistics USA will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Americas 2026.