Hyundai seeks area for train plant in Brazil
O Estado de S. Paulo
The Korean Hyundai Rotem is looking for places to set up a train plant in Brazil. The company integrates the consortium that will compete for the High Speed Train (HST), connecting Campinas, São Paulo and Rio in April. The construction of the unit, however, is associated to the victory in the dispute.
This week, a party of ten executives of the company landed in two cities of Sao Paulo to survey potential areas for the unit. The first was São José dos Campos on Tuesday. The next day, the party met with the Mayor of Campinas, Hélio de Oliveira Santos. They stayed two hours at the Mayor's office, and among them were two Secretaries and a Director of International Cooperation. The conversation was translated by an interpreter who spoke Portuguese and Korean.
According to the City Hall, the executives said they are looking for a 200-thousand-square-meter area to install the plant of 40 thousand square meters. The unit, in case the Korean Consortium wins the public bid, will generate between 400 and 500 jobs with specialized manpower.
The party shall visit other cities, especially in Rio de Janeiro. But the region of Campinas may be in advantage because of industrial rail center of Hortolândia. There are installed large companies such as Amsted Maxion, Bombardier and CAF. Even though it participates in other markets in Brazil, such as supply of cars for the Subway System of São Paulo and Salvador, the plant of Hyundai Rotem would only produce high speed trains - at a first moment, the other products continue being imported, as it happens today. The company makes the KTX, the Korean bullet train.