List of town tramway systems in Brazil

This is a list of town tramway systems in Brazil by Estado. It includes all tram systems, past and present.

Alagoas

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Maceió   Steam 1868-03-23 ? [1]
Horse 1871-12-25 ? [2]
electric 1914-June-12 1956 ca. [3]
Penedo   Horse 1909-01-01 1936-12-31 [4]

Amazonas

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Manaus   Steam 1895 ca. 1898 ca. [5], [6]
electric 1899-Aug-01 1957-02-28 [7], [8] Operation suspended 1954 - 1956.

Bahia

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Alagoinhas   Horse ? ?  
Cachoeira   Horse 1872-10-30 1921 [9]
Ilhéus   Horse ? ?  
Nazaré   Horse ? ?  
Steam ? ?  
Salvador   Horse 1860 ? [10], [11]
Steam 1869-May-12 ? [12], [13]
electric 1897-03-14 1961-Sep [14], [15], [16]
Santo Amaro   Horse 1874-01-01 1962 [17]

Ceará

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Fortaleza   Horse 1880-04-25 (or ca. 1875) ? [18]
electric 1913-Oct-09 1947-05-19 [19]
Sobral   Horse 1894 1918 [20]
  • Aracati - Horse traction (?). Morrison (1989, page 43) [21] states that an 1873 brochure issued by the Brazilian government mentions a tramway project in this town; it is not known whether the tramway was built.

Espírito Santo

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Cachoeiro de Itapemirim   electric 1924-12-25 1938-June-04 [22]
Vila Velha   1000 electric 1912-Apr-12 1967-12-15 [23], [24] Connected Paul (ferry terminal for Vitória) and Vila Velha.
Vitória   Horse 1907-July-11 1913 by [25], [26]
electric 1911-07-21 1963-05-23 [27], [28]

Goiás

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Goiás   Horse ? ?  

Maranhão

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Caxias   Horse ? ?  
Dom Pedro   Horse ? ?  
São Luís   Horse 1872 ca. ? [29]
electric 1924-09-15 1966-Dec [30]
Tirirical   electric 1978-10-26 1983 [31]

Mato Grosso

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Cuiabá   Mule 1891-04-30 1935 [32]
Cuiabá   electric 2014 [33]

Minas Gerais

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Além Paraíba   1000 Mule 1895 1925 (?) [34]
1000 electric 1925-11-15 1939-07-25 [35] Closed following an accident.
Belo Horizonte   Steam 1895-Sep-07 ? [36], [37]
Horse 1899-02-16 ? [38], [39]
electric 1902-Sep-02 1963-06-30 [40], [41]
Bom Sucesso   1000 electric 1930-09-21 1950 (?) [42]
Campanha   Mule 1911 ? [43]
Steam 1911 (?) ? [44]
Petrol (gasoline) (?)   [45]
electric (?)     [46] see note.
Cataguases   Horse 1910-11-25
1915-Aug-10
1914
1918-03-24
[47]
Caxambu   750 Horse 1911 1925 [48]
Guarará   Mule 1895 1923 [49]
Juiz de Fora   1000 Horse 1889-Sep-07 ? [50]
1000 electric 1906-June-06 1969-04-14 [51]
Lavras   1000 electric 1911-10-21 1967-Noc-08 [52]
Mar de Espanha   Horse (?)     [53] see note.
Nova Lima - Rapopos   660 electric 1913-Apr-03 1970 ca. [54]
Ouro Preto   Mule 1888-Dec-01 1891 ca. [55]
Pedro Leopoldo   1000 Mule 1907 1930 [56]
Sacramento - Cipó   1000 electric 1913-11-15 1937-Oct [57]
São Lourenço   Horse 1905 1932 [58]
Telófilo Otoni   Horse 1918-Sep 1938-May [59]
Ubá   Mule 1895 1922 [60]
  • Note for Campanha: Morrison (1989, page 87) [61] describes conflicting information on whether the tramway was electrified, and when it closed.
  • Note for Mar de Espanha: Morrison (1989, page 79) [62] states that one source (dated 1889) mentions a tramway in this town, but no other information could be located.

Pará

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Belém   Steam 1869-Sep-01 ? [63], [64]
Mule 1870 1908-07-21 [65], [66]
electric 1907-08-15 1947-04-27 [67], [68] Heritage tramway opened 18 August 2005 [69].
Mosqueiro   Horse 1913 ca. (?) ? [70]
San Antônio do Prata   Horse 1907 1914 [71] Replaced by railway branch line.

Paraíba

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Itabaiana   Horse 1914 1929 [72]
João Pessoa   Horse 1896-June-06 ? [73]
Steam 1906-10-21 1919 [74]
Petrol (gasoline) 1911-02-15 1919 [75]
electric 1914-02-19 1958 [76]

Paraná

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Curitiba   Mule 1887-Nov-08 1913 [77], [78]
electric 1913-Jan-07 1952-Jun [79], [80]
Paranaguá   Steam 1893-Dec-07 1938 [81]
Mule ? 1938 [82]
Petrol (gasoline) ? 1938 [83]

Pernambuco

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Afogados da Ingazeira   Horse 1895 1914 ca. [84]
Arcoverde   Horse ? ? [85] See Carpina (below).
Carpina   Horse ? ? [86] Morrison (1989, page 55) cites a Recife historian who states that this town had a tramway.
Caruaru   Horse ? ? [87] See Carpina (above).
Limoeiro   Horse ? ? [88]
Petrol (gasoline) ? 1952 [89]
Palmares   Horse ? ? [90] See Carpina (above).
Pesqueira   Horse 191_ 193_ [91]
Recife   Steam 1867-Jan-05 1922 [92], [93]
Mule 1871-09-22 ? [94], [95]
electric 1914-05-13 1954-Mar [96], [97] Service (one daily return trip, worked by a single car) resumed because of court action by the local authority, and continued to 1960.
Timbaúba   Horse 1915-10-10 193_ [98]
Triunfo   Horse ? ? [99] See Carpina (above).
  • Garanhuns - Diesel traction [100]. Test operations conducted with a former Recife tramcar, equipped with a diesel engine, in 1968 over a (then recently closed) railway branch. The engine, overloaded by large numbers of passengers seeking to ride on opening day, failed. Public service was not attempted thereafter.
  • Goiana - Horse traction (?). Morrison (1989, page 55) [101] states that an 1873 brochure issued by the Brazilian government mentions a tramway project in this town; it is not known whether the tramway was built.

Piauí

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Parnaíba   Horse ? ?  
Teresina   Horse ? ? [102]

Rio de Janeiro

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Barra do Piraí   Mule ? ?  
Campos (dos Goytacazes)   1000 Mule 1875-09-19 1916 [1]
1000 electric 1916-10-14
1923
1918-09-15
1964-11-15
[1]
Petrol (gasoline) 1918 1923 [1]
Macaé   1000 Mule 1872-06-29 1932 [1]
Magé   Horse 1873-Feb-04 1896-Nov-01 [1] Temporary operation on planned railway route.
Manuel Duarte   Horse 1883 1911 [1] Connected Paraibuna and Manuel Duarte. Replaced by railway line.
Mendes   Mule 1889 1912 ca. [1] See note.
Nova Friburgo   1100 Mule 1883 1933 [1]
Petrópolis   1000 electric 1912-12-13 1939-07-15 [1]
Riberão das Lajes   Petrol (gasoline) 1906 1935 [1] Operated over former dam-construction railway from Nicanor Pereira.
(São Sebastião do) Rio de Janeiro VLT (Rio de Janeiro) Horse 1859-01-31
1868-Oct-09
1862-Sep
1910-03-26
[2]
Steam 1862-Sep
1882
1866-11-28
?
[2]
electric 1892-Oct-08 1967-12-21 [2]
1435 electric 2016-Jun-06
Madureira   Horse 1911-09-28 1928 [2]
electric 1928-Oct-12 ? [2]
Santa Teresa Santa Teresa Tram Horse 1875-05-25 1897-Jun ,[2] http://www.tramz.com/br/rj/st/st.html , [103]
1100 electric 1896-Sep-01   [2]
Campo Grande   electric 1917-05-17 1967-10-31 [1]
Ilha do Governador   electric 1922-Oct-04 1965-Apr-10 [2]
Santa Cruz   820 Horse 1880 1911 [1]
Niterói   Horse 1871-Oct-09 1908-08-15 [1]
Accumulator (storage battery) 1883-Oct-07 1885-Feb (after) [1]
electric 1906-10-31 1964-07-31 [1]
♦♦ São Gonçalo   Steam 1899-Aug-05 1917-Feb [1] Connected Niterói (Neves) and Alcântara.
Petrol (gasoline) 1917-02-15 1925-Jul [1] Connected Niterói (Neves) and Alcântara.
electric 1910-08-25 1964-07-31 [1] Connected Niterói and Alcântara. See note.
Teresópolis   Horse ? ?  
Vassouras   Mule 1883-July-11 1914 [1]
  • Barra do Piraí - Peschkes (Part 1, 1980, page 45) lists a tramway (using animal traction) in this town. Morrison (1989, page 120) states that an 1888 government report describes three concessions for tramway construction, and a 1922 publication includes two photographs showing track and overhead wire in streets. However, he adds that a visit to the city "failed to produce any information about the existence of a passenger tramway."
  • Note for Mendes: Tramway extended from Humberto Antunes railway station. Electric traction (for goods) and petrol traction (for passengers), ca. 1912 - 1952. Unconnected line extended from Mendes railway station, horse traction, 1900 - 1932.
  • Note for Niterói: Niterói tramway undertaking extended to São Gonçalo from 25 August 1910 (electric traction). São Gonçalo tramway absorbed by Niterói undertaking from 1921.
  • Notes for Rio de Janeiro: Period of no tramway operation following closure of first line (to Tijuca, in 1866) and opening of the second line (to Largo do Machado) on 9 October 1868 (later extended to Jardim Botânico). Tijuca line reopened (by a new undertaking) on 19 January 1870. First tramway line in Zona Norte opened 29 November 1873.
    • Experiments with accumulator (storage battery) traction on 2 July 1887 and 16 July 1887.
    • Electric traction inaugurated in Zona Sul on 8 October 1892, and in Zona Norte on 1 July 1905. Last line in Zona Norte closed 21 May 1963. Only one line (in Zona Sul) remained in operation after 17 May 1965.
    • Alto da Boa Vista line [104] retained as tourist line, but operation suspended because of storm damage 10 January 1966 – May 1966. Operation again suspended because of storm damage, 22 January 1967 – Mar 1967. Following a period of intermittent operation, the line was declared closed on 21 December 1967.
  • Note for Santa Cruz: Connected Santa Cruz and Itaguaí (1880 - 1907, replaced by railway branch), and Santa Cruz and Sepetiba (27 June 1884 - 1911).

Rio Grande do Norte

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Macau   Horse ? ?  
Mossoró   Horse ? ?  
Steam ? ?  
Natal   Horse 1908-Sep-07 ? [105]
electric 1911-Oct-02 1955-May [106]

Rio Grande do Sul

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Bagé   Horse (?) ? ? [107]
Cassino   Horse (?) ? ? [108]
Passo Fundo   Horse ? ?  
Pelotas   1435 Horse 1873-09-09 1915 ca. [109]
1435 electric 1915-10-20 1955-Apr [110]
Porto Alegre   Mule 1864-Nov-01
1873-Jan-04
1872
1914
[111], [112]
electric 1908-Mar-10 1970-Mar-08 [113], [114]
Rio Grande   1000 Mule 1876-July-05 1912 ca. [115]
1000 electric 1911-11-15 1967-06-15 [116]
Santa Maria   Horse ? ?  
São Leopoldo   1000 Horse 1914-11-29 1915 [117]
Uruguaiana   Horse (?) ? ? [118]

Santa Catarina

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Florianópolis   Mule 1880-Nov-06
1909-June-05
1885
193_
[119]
Joinville   Mule 1911-01-29 1917-Apr-10 [120]

São Paulo

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
width=80px Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Campinas   electric 1912-06-24
1968-05-24
[121]
electric 1972-Nov-05 Heritage tramway, (operates on Saturdays and Sundays, year round).
♦ Campinas - Joaquím Egido - Souzas - Cabras   Steam 1894 1917 [122]
electric 1917-03-18 1960-02-10 [123]
Joaquím Egido - Doutor Lacerda   Petrol (gasoline) 1919 1939-Oct-01 [124]
Campos do Jordão   Petrol (gasoline) 1914-11-15
1924-12-21
1916
1956
[125], [126], [127]
1000 electric 1956   [128], [129], [130]
Pindamonhangaba - Campos do Jordão   Petrol (gasoline) 1914-11-15 1916 ca. [131], [132], [133] Goods trains worked by steam. Line not operated between ca. 1916 and 1924.
electric 1924-12-21   [134], [135], [136] Operation suspended 1982 - Oct 1986.
Guaratinguetá   Mule 1898 1920 ca. [137]
electric 1914-Mar-07 1957 ca. [138] Line connected Guaratinguetá and Aparecida.
Aparecida   Mule 1895 1913 [139]
electric 1913-Dec-08 1957 ca. [140]
Jundiaí   600 Mule 1893 1896 [141]
(electric)     Morrison (1989, page 46) [142] states that an electric tramway project in 1914 was stopped because of the First World War.
Lorena   Mule 1886-10-18 1896 [143]
Piracicaba   1000 electric 1916-01-15 1969-Oct-03 [144]
Piraju   1000 electric 1915-Aug-01 1931 (or 2 August 1937) Morrison (1989, page 159) [145], [146] describes conflicting information about the date of closure.
♦ Piraju - Sarutaiá   electric 1915-08-15 1931 (or 2 August 1937) Morrison (1989, page 159) [147], [148] describes conflicting information about the date of closure.
Ribeirão Preto   (electric)     Peschkes (Part 1, 1980, page 46) states that the tramway was constructed, but not opened.
Santo André   Horse ? ?  
Santos   Mule 1871-Oct-08 1912-May-03  
Electric 1909-04-28 1971-02-28  
Santos heritage tramway Electric 10 June 1984 October 1986 First heritage tramway[3]
Santos heritage tramway Electric 23 Sep 2000 Second heritage tramway[4]
Santos light rail [pt] Electric 31 Jan 2016 Modern tramway/light rail[5]
São Vicente   1350 Mule 1875-10-24 1909 [149]
electric 1909-04-28 ? [150] Operated as part of Santos system.
Guarujá - Itapema   Steam 1893 1925 [151]
1000 electric 1925-Jan-11 1956-07-13 [152]
São Carlos   Horse 1895 1896 [153], [154] Tramway closed because of yellow fever epidemic.
electric 1914-12-27 1962-06-16 [155], [156]
São Paulo   Mule 1872-Oct-12 1907 [157]
Steam 1886-03-14 1914 [158][permanent dead link]
electric 1900-May-07 1968-03-27 [159]
São Bernardo do Campo   1000 Petrol (gasoline) 1923-May-03 1930-Oct-05 [160] Tramway connected São Bernardo do Campo and São Caetano (do Sul).
Tramway da Cantareira   Steam ? 1965-05-31 [161] See note.
Sorocaba   1000 electric 1915-12-30 1959-02-28 [162], [163]
♦ Sorocaba - Votorantim   electric 1922-Feb-04 1966 [164], [165] Public passenger service withdrawn 1966, non-public passenger service withdrawn 1977.
Taubaté   800 Mule 1879-05-27 1910 ca. [166]
600 Steam 1880 1920 [167] Connected Taubaté and Tremembé.

Non-public tramway:

Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Vila de Itatinga   Steam 1906 1958 [168], [169]
800 electric 1958-Jan Unknown, c. 2017 or 2016 [170]. Closed as a tramway by 2017,[6] but the tracks remained in use, with intermittent service (for workers) sometimes using the former tramcars being towed by diesel tractors[7] (effectively making the line an ordinary railway, no longer a tramway)
  • Note for São Paulo - Tramway da Cantareira: Narrow-gauge light railway. Connected São Paulo, Cantareira, and Guarulhos. Electrification of Guarulhos line planned (ca. 1942, not carried out. Cantareira line closed 1957. Guarulhos line closed 31 May 1965.

Sergipe

[edit]
Location Article Gauge
(mm)
Traction
Type
Date (from)
(year-month-day)
Date (to)
(year-month-day)
Notes
Aracaju   Mule 1908-10-24 ? [171]
electric 1926-June-02 1955 [172]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Rio de Janeiro (2) on tramz.com
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rio de Janeiro (1) on tramz.com
  3. ^ "The Tramways of Brazil".
  4. ^ "The Scottish Trams of Santos".
  5. ^ "UrbanRail.Net > South America > Brazil > S.P. > Santos VLT".
  6. ^ "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: LRTA Publishing. November 2017. p. 430. ISSN 1460-8324.
  7. ^ "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: LRTA Publishing. February 2018. p. 69. ISSN 1460-8324.