The project, intended to unite the two oceans that bathe South America, may have an impact on the Panama Canal...

The "Transportw XXI" newspaper reported in its latest issue thar a German-Swiss consortium may have shown interest in participating in the construction and financing of a "bi-oceanic train", a railway line that would link the port of Santos, on the Atlantic coast of Brazil, to one of two ports on the Pacific coast (Matarani or Ilo, both in Peru).

According to the same source, in 2014, China, Brazil and Peru signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct studies on the feasibility of the project, something that would have displeased Bolivia, since it would not be included in the route.

The Bolivian President has meanwhile traveled to Germany in late 2015 and the project has gained momentum. In January this year, a German entrepreneurial delegation, headed by a member of the German government, traveled to Bolivia to present a proposal. Among potential interested parties there is Siemens and DB.

According to President Evo Morales, quoted in the newspaper, the route through Bolivia is "shorter and less expensive". Initial calculations indicate an investment of around 9.1 billion euros.

The project, intended to unite the two oceans that bathe South America, may have an impact on the Panama Canal. For some members of the German government, it is still too early to speak of competition - "Sea transport is more used for consumer goods and railway is more used for raw materials; everything depends on the fastest route according to the product", the official quoted by the newspaper said.

Source: Jornal da Economia do Mar
Photo Source: Jornal da Economia do Mar