Cuiabá Light Rail

Cuiabá Light Rail
Cuiabá Light Rail
Overview
Native name	VLT de Cuiabá
Locale	Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Transit type	Light rail
Number of lines	0 (2 planned)
Number of stations	0 (33 planned)
Daily ridership	120,000 (projected)
Technical
System length	0 (22 km (14 mi) planned)
System map
System map
	Legend
	Cuiabá
	Várzea Grande

The Cuiabá Light Rail (Portuguese: VLT de Cuiabá) is an abandoned light rail in the Brazilian city of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. Work on the line was suspened in 2015 due to suspicion of bidder fraud. The project was officially canceled in 2020. As of 2021, there is no intention to finish the construction and the system is to be replaced by BRT.

The light rail system was designed to connect Cuiabá with Cuiabá International Airport in the city of Várzea Grande.

In 2012, 40 CAF Urbos 3 trams were ordered for operation on the system. All 40 trams had been delivered by the time the project was cancelled, and the fleet was initially mothballed. In August 2024, however, the state of Bahia signed an agreement for the purchase of all 40 vehicles for use on the under-construction Salvador light rail system. As of October 2025, the fleet is currently undergoing refurbishment and modernization works at the CAF factory in Hortolândia.

Planned system

The light rail network was planned to be 22 kilometres (14 mi) in length, operating on two lines:

Line	Termini	Length (km)	Stations
1	Airport ↔ Centro Político Administrativo (CPA)	15	22
2	Centro ↔ Coxipó	7.2	11

References

↑ "Justiça Federal prorroga suspensão de obra do VLT na Grande Cuiabá" (in Portuguese). Portal G1. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
1 2 "Rio tramway expands and explores surplus Cuiabá LRVs". Tramways & Urban Transit. 3 June 2022. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
↑ "Mato Grosso descarta VLT e terá BRT com ônibus elétricos e articulados entre Cuiabá e Várzea Grande". Diário do Transporte (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-12-21. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
↑ "VLT deveria ser entregue nesta 5ª em Cuiabá mas previsão é só dezembro" [VLT should be delivered in Cuiabá this Thursday but is expected only in December]. G1 (Rede Globo) (in Portuguese). 13 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-22.
1 2 "Urban transport industry news round-up". Railway Gazette International. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 2026-01-10. The Brazilian state of Bahia has signed an agreement to purchase 40 seven-section CAF Urbos 3 light rail vehicles from the state of Mato Grosso for R$820m, and track and electrification equipment for R$100m. The unused trams were originally ordered in 2012 for a project in Cuiabá which was subsequently cancelled. They will now be overhauled by the manufacturer for use on a three-line network under development in Salvador.
↑ Salvador re-uses 40 Cuiabá LRVs Tramways & Urban Transit issue 1040 August 2024 page 284
↑ "Urban transport industry news round-up". Railway Gazette International. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 2026-01-10. Officials of the State of Bahia have paid a visit to CAF's Hortolândia factory to inspect the progress of modernisation of the 40 secondhand Urbos 3 tram vehicles for Salvador's under-construction light rail network. Bahia State Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues has confirmed the start of revenue services on the first section in the second half of 2026.
↑ "Governo garante ao TCE conclusão de trecho do VLT de Cuiabá até maio" [Government guarantees the completion of Cuiabá VLT's ECA stretch by May]. G1 (Rede Globo) (in Portuguese). 25 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-22.

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[1] "Justiça Federal prorroga suspensão de obra do VLT na Grande Cuiabá" (in Portuguese). Portal G1. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.

[:0-2] 1 2 "Rio tramway expands and explores surplus Cuiabá LRVs". Tramways & Urban Transit. 3 June 2022. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 2024-01-07.

[3] "Mato Grosso descarta VLT e terá BRT com ônibus elétricos e articulados entre Cuiabá e Várzea Grande". Diário do Transporte (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-12-21. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2021-04-29.

[4] "VLT deveria ser entregue nesta 5ª em Cuiabá mas previsão é só dezembro" [VLT should be delivered in Cuiabá this Thursday but is expected only in December]. G1 (Rede Globo) (in Portuguese). 13 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-22.

[:1-5] 1 2 "Urban transport industry news round-up". Railway Gazette International. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 2026-01-10. The Brazilian state of Bahia has signed an agreement to purchase 40 seven-section CAF Urbos 3 light rail vehicles from the state of Mato Grosso for R$820m, and track and electrification equipment for R$100m. The unused trams were originally ordered in 2012 for a project in Cuiabá which was subsequently cancelled. They will now be overhauled by the manufacturer for use on a three-line network under development in Salvador.

[6] Salvador re-uses 40 Cuiabá LRVs Tramways & Urban Transit issue 1040 August 2024 page 284

[7] "Urban transport industry news round-up". Railway Gazette International. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 2026-01-10. Officials of the State of Bahia have paid a visit to CAF's Hortolândia factory to inspect the progress of modernisation of the 40 secondhand Urbos 3 tram vehicles for Salvador's under-construction light rail network. Bahia State Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues has confirmed the start of revenue services on the first section in the second half of 2026.

[8] "Governo garante ao TCE conclusão de trecho do VLT de Cuiabá até maio" [Government guarantees the completion of Cuiabá VLT's ECA stretch by May]. G1 (Rede Globo) (in Portuguese). 25 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-11-22.