The company started in 1996, following the privatization of the state-owned Brazilian railway operator RFFSA. After winning a 30 year concession in auction for R$ 888.9 million,[2] MRS was allowed to operate and maintain the southeastern Brazilian rail network, effective September 1996.
Its network combines the lines from Rio de Janeiro-São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro-Belo Horizonte, São Paulo-Santos and Ferrovia do Aço ("Railroad of Steel").[1][3]
These lines are in the richest and populous area of Brazil (54% of Brazil's GDP), and MRS has connections to three of the most important seaports of Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Itaguaí and Santos. The company also has a connection to the privately owned iron ore terminal of Minerações Brasileiras Reunidas (now part of Vale) in Ilha de Guaíba on Angra dos Reis bay.