Brazil's Supreme Federal Court has cleared the way for a disputed railway project that has been frozen for five years. By voting 8 to 1, the court approved a 2017 law that removed 862 hectares from Jamanxim National Park in Pará state. This small cut was enough to unblock the Ferrogrão, or grain train, which has faced strong opposition from Indigenous groups and environmental organizations.
The 933-kilometer railway would connect Sinop in Mato Grosso, Brazil's largest soybean producer, to a river port at Itaituba on the Tapajós River in the Amazon. Supporters say the railway will make shipping grain faster and cheaper than using trucks. However, Indigenous peoples including the Munduruku, Kayapó, and Tupinambá call it the "Railway of Death" because they worry it will damage the rainforest where they live.
The court added important protections to its decision. Justice Flávio Dino blocked any further reduction of the national park and prevented the shrinking of Indigenous lands within 250 kilometers of the railway route. However, the ruling does not permit construction to begin. The project still needs environmental approval from Ibama and consultation with Indigenous communities. The government plans to auction the railway concession in late 2026 to a private company.