Vale and Wabtec Sign R$1bn Positive Train Control Deal in Brazil

Brazilian miner Vale has signed an agreement with US-based Wabtec to deploy the I-ETMS Positive Train Control system on two of its railways, the companies announced in matching press releases on 17 July 2026.

The system will be installed on the Carajas Railway (EFC) and the Vitoria a Minas Railway (EFVM), integrating with onboard train systems and existing infrastructure to enable real-time operational management and automatic intervention under risk conditions. Neither company disclosed route lengths, locomotive counts, or a breakdown between hardware, software and installation costs. Implementation is phased and runs through 2031, with no specific start date given.

Vale and Wabtec cited safety and operational reliability as the rationale, noting that EFC and EFVM are already among the safest railways in Brazil and are the country's only two railways carrying regular passenger service alongside freight traffic. Neither release cites a regulatory requirement from Brazil's ANTT transport regulator behind the move.

"PTC implementation represents an important milestone in advancing railway safety in Brazil," said Danilo Miyasato, President and Regional Leader of Wabtec LATAM. Carlos Medeiros, Executive Vice President of Operations at Vale, is also quoted in the companies' releases on the agreement.

Neither Vale nor Wabtec stated whether the deal is a new relationship or an extension of prior contracts between the two companies; the releases give no continuity language linking it to other recent agreements between them.