Brazilian Association of the Railroad Suppliers (ABIFER)

On the rails of development

ABIFER gathers manufacturers of diesel-electric and dieselhydraulic locomotives, freight cars for all purposes, steel mill cars, subway and suburban trains, light rail vehicles (LRV), high speed trains, signaling and telecommunication systems, brakes, coupler systems, doors, pantographs, air conditioning, bogies and their components: wheels, axles, brake shoes and springs, material for track: rail clips, joint bars, turnouts, sleepers and rail welding, in addition to companies specializing in services of engineering, maintenance, refurbishing, adaptation and modernization of railway vehicles.

History

ABIFER was founded on August 8, 1977 by manufacturers of railway system equipment, aimed at highlighting the importance of the industry and the cargo and passenger rail transportation. It has been in permanent relationship with operators, government authorities and legislators, BNDES (the Brazilian Development Bank), universities and several segments of society.

Mission

The Association’s mission is to defend the interests of the Brazilian industry of railroad equipment, components and materials, and contribute to the development of this transportation modal, aiming at its adequacy to Brazil’s real needs.

Activities

• To encourage, sponsor and develop studies and research on the interest of rail transportation development;
• To disseminate information, studies and projects contributing to establish national awareness of the sector needs and potential, as well as its importance for the nation’s economic development;
• To cooperate with agencies acting in formulation and implementation of transportation programs;
• To act for the development of the domestic railroad equipment industry;
• To stimulate the improvement of national railway technology, by means of agreements or exchange programs with public and private universities and research institutions;
• To propagate the image of the national railway industry in Brazil and abroad;
• To work toward setting up a government policy for foreign trade;
• To maintain relations with peer entities or institutions, public and private enterprises, national or international, aimed to cooperate in the development of activities and achievement of ABIFER goals.