Passengers Evacuate and Walk Tracks After Traction Failure Stops Line 8 Train

Overview

• A traction failure on a Line 8‑Diamante train on Thursday left passengers trapped for about 40 minutes, forcing some to break windows, use emergency releases and walk along the tracks to reach the platform.
• Videos and eyewitness accounts show crowded cars without ventilation where people reported shortness of breath and fainting, while staff and a limited number of agents escorted evacuees to safety.
• ViaMobilidade initially reported mainline service was normal but later confirmed the section between General Miguel Costa and Carapicuíba was interrupted and deployed PAESE buses as a contingency while the train was removed for maintenance.
• Artesp sent fiscal teams and warned of possible sanctions including fines and a pre‑caducity process, the Ministério Público will add the case to an existing civil inquiry, and Governor Tarcísio de Freitas requested a meeting with ViaMobilidade’s board to press for fixes or contract action.
• The episode highlights a pattern of repeated failures on Lines 8 and 9 this year, with journalistic tallies showing those lines lead 2026 incidents, and the operator has offered to discuss added investments and contractual repactuation with the state.