Railway Regulation in Brazil: Proposals for simplifying and increasing progress in the sector

The railway sector has received special governmental attention in different countries over the past years. The challenges are common to all of them: finding the formula that allows investments promotion, expanding geographic coverage, and ensuring competitive and affordable prices for producers and passengers. In the Brazilian case, the participation of both private and public sectors has been changing over time, facing nationalization and privatization. The fact is that, although there have been periods of expansion and investments, the Brazilian railway network has not been able to reach the same development level required by the country's dimensions, especially for cargo. In this study we analyze in depth the regulation model (and the historical deregulation movement) of the United States, which brings valuable lessons to the Brazilian context, in addition to some insights from Australia, Canada, Germany, Russia, South Africa, and Mexico.