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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maranhão

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

References

  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.