Salvador tramway carries first passengers

The Brazilian city of Salvador in Bahia State (population 2.56M) has operated a metro since 2014, now two lines totalling 38km. However it is now building a tramway system to replace a metre-gauge suburban rail line dating from the 1940s - the tramway should reach three standard-gauge lines totalling 36.4km. On 30 June 2026 the first passengers were carried on a trial basis between the city terminus Calçada and Lobato, part of the planned 16.6km line linking Calçada and São João. This was to be a Chinese monorail line, but the project was cancelled in 2023 due to delays and irregularities in favour of the BRR 5bn tramway. 

 

For rolling stock Salvador has purchased over 40 CAF Urbos 44m seven-section double-ended trams that were originally ordered by the city of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso state, and delivered there in 2014-2015. However that tramway scheme failed for financial reasons, providing a good-value fleet for Salvador. The trams have been refurbished at the CAF Brazilian factory at Hortolândia, São Paulo state. About 100 000 passengers/day are expected to use the completed tramway.