Wabtec Brazil Expansion: Rail Growth & Engineering in Contagem (2025)

Wabtec boosts its **rail** presence in Brazil with a $3.5 million investment, including a new engineering center and expanded **locomotive** production.

Wabtec Brazil Expansion: Rail Growth & Engineering in Contagem (2025)
November 10, 2025 4:54 am
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Introduction

Wabtec Corporation is investing BRL 20 million (around USD 3.5 million) to expand its operations in Brazil, including establishing its first Global Engineering Center in Latin America in Contagem (Minas Gerais), scheduled to open in December 2025.

Investment and Expansion

Wabtec Corporation is investing BRL 20 million (around USD 3.5 million) to expand its operations, capabilities, and workforce in Brazil. This investment aims to strengthen the company’s engineering and manufacturing base to design and deliver rail products and services for the region’s growing market demand. According to Danilo Miyasato, President and Regional Leader of Wabtec in Latin America, the expansion demonstrates confidence in the Brazil market and the region’s growth potential.

Engineering Center in Contagem

Most of the expansion will occur in Contagem (Minas Gerais), where Wabtec operates a major locomotive factory. The company plans to establish its first Global Engineering Center in Latin America near the existing factory in the Cidade Industrial district. This facility will focus on research and development for local and international projects. The new center will cover about 9,000 m² and include laboratories and workstations for 300 engineering positions, with an opening scheduled for December 2025.

Locomotive Production Boost

A new locomotive assembly line launched in April 2025 will boost production capacity at the Contagem plant by 28 percent. This expansion aims to enable Wabtec to meet rising regional and export demand. The factory is expected to reach the milestone of 1,000 locomotives produced by 2026. According to Danilo Miyasato, the company has adjusted processes to increase production volume and diversify deliveries, enabling them to serve regional customers and new markets, such as Australia and Uruguay, with new locomotive models.

Logistics Centers and Workforce Growth

Wabtec plans to open two new Logistics Centers this year — in Governador Valadares (MG) and Monte Alto (SP) — to expand its shipping capacity. These centers will support future growth in key business segments, including Maintenance of Way, Digital Intelligence, and Components. With the combined growth of the factory and the new Engineering Center, Wabtec expects to exceed 1,000 employees in Contagem by 2026.

Last June 2025, we published an article about Renfe’s cutting-edge Aranjuez maintenance hub. Click here to read – Future of Rail: Renfe’s Railway Technology Hub, Aranjuez: Essential Guide

Conclusion

Wabtec Corporation is investing BRL 20 million (around USD 3.5 million) to expand its operations in Brazil, including establishing its first Global Engineering Center in Latin America in Contagem (Minas Gerais), scheduled to open in December 2025 and new logistics centers. The expansion includes increasing locomotive production and growing its workforce.

Company Summary

Wabtec Corporation: A company investing BRL 20 million (around USD 3.5 million) in Brazil to expand its operations, capabilities, and workforce. It operates a major locomotive factory in Contagem (Minas Gerais) and plans to establish its first Global Engineering Center in Latin America.