Sustainability & ESG
On this page, you can follow how we act to preserve the environment responsibly, monitoring the potential negative impacts caused by train operations. We invite you to learn about our environmental management practices in detail — practices that reflect our commitment to building a more sustainable future, operating with transparency, ethics, and respect for the environment and the communities in which we operate.
Solid waste and effluent management
The company is committed to the correct management of waste generated by its activities. All stages of management — collection, transport, and final disposal — are conducted with technical rigour, in accordance with legislation and sustainability principles. Solid waste is segregated by classification and temporarily stored in waste sheds or skips at the workshops until collection. To reduce the volume sent to landfill, materials such as wooden packaging, lubricating oil, lamps, cardboard, and scrap metal are sent for recycling or reuse. Industrial and domestic effluents are stored in IBCs or collected directly at the point of generation by a contracted company.
Proper lamp disposal
Lamps used at stations, on trains, and in workshops are collected and handled by a contracted company that separates glass, aluminium, brass pins, and mercury (in the case of fluorescent lamps) for recycling. We are progressively replacing all fluorescent lamps with LEDs across all our facilities.
Cardboard reuse
Cardboard from material packaging is donated to SUIPA (International Animal Protection Society), which reuses it at its shelter. Cardboard that is not suitable for the NGO is sent for recycling by a contracted company.
Environmental noise monitoring
We carry out regular noise measurements in sensitive areas near the rail network, such as schools and hospitals, at strategic monitoring points covering all lines and workshops.
Removal of bees and wasps
We have a contract with a beekeeper specialised in the proper handling of these insects, ensuring that bees and wasps are safely removed without harm to the insects or the environment, and relocated to licensed apiaries where they continue to perform their ecological functions.
Water reuse
The reuse of water from washing train parts and trains themselves is made possible by two Industrial Effluent Treatment Plants (IETPs) at the Deodoro and São Diogo workshops, which treat all industrial effluent generated in the washers. Over the past two years, the IETPs have enabled the consumption of 1,618 m³ of recycled water in the washers themselves.
Vehicle emissions monitoring
Road vehicles, rolling stock, and track maintenance equipment are subject to quarterly opacity monitoring, verifying that emissions from engines are within the limits established by applicable state regulations.
Environmental Management System (EMS)
The EMS enables us to plan, execute, monitor, and continuously improve our actions, ensuring that negative environmental impacts are identified, controlled, and reduced efficiently. Through the EMS, we also monitor contracted service providers to ensure they hold the appropriate environmental licences for their activities.