Wabtec to boost engineering and manufacturing in Brazil

Wabtec has committed 20m reais ($3.7m) to expand its operations and workforce in Brazil with a focus on increasing engineering and manufacturing capacity in Contagem, Minas Gerais.

The company will establish a global engineering centre, which will be its first in Latin America.

The engineering centre, scheduled to open in December near Wabtec’s factory in the Cidade Industrial district, will occupy roughly 9,000m2.

It will accommodate laboratories and workspaces for 300 engineering professionals, with recruitment underway.

The facility will provide research and development support for projects serving both domestic and international markets.

In April 2025, Wabtec began operating a locomotive production line at the Contagem plant. With the addition of the new line, the production capacity of the factory is expected to go up by 28%.

The company projected that the facility would reach a total of 1,000 locomotives produced by 2026.

By that year, the combined workforce of the factory and the engineering centre is forecast to surpass 1,000 employees.

Wabtec Latin America regional leader and president Danilo Miyasato said: “This expansion demonstrates our confidence in the Brazil market and the region’s growth potential.

“It also reflects on how our team here in Brazil has routinely delivered the products and services needed for our customers to thrive. With this investment, we are prepared to serve railroads in Brazil and around the world with excellence, while continuing to drive innovation.”

In addition to developments in Contagem, Wabtec plans to open two logistics centres this year, including one in Governador Valadares in Minas Gerais and another in Monte Alto in São Paulo.

These centres are intended to increase shipping capacity and enable growth in business areas including maintenance of way, digital intelligence, and components.

Last month, Wabtec and Vale formalised an agreement to conduct laboratory testing on a dual-fuel engine capable of operating on both diesel and a diesel-ethanol blend.

These assessments, scheduled to continue through 2027, aim to evaluate the engine’s operational performance and emissions profile.

They will also determine how much ethanol could potentially substitute diesel in the Vitória-Minas Railway fleet.

"Wabtec to boost engineering and manufacturing in Brazil" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.

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