Nos trilhos do trem baiano: da instalação a extinção do transporte ferroviário de passageiros e seus impactos no modo de vida no Norte de Minas Gerais

Abstract

The Brazilian State in the 1990s, meeting the guidelines of the Washington Consensus, developed the National Plan of privatization, with which sought to adapt the state to the neoliberal model, adapting to the minimal state, thus in 1996 occur the privatization of railroad transportation of freight in Brazil and was indicated the extinction of thepassenger railroad transportation. The aim of this study was to understand the impacts on the way of live of the population established on the banks of the railroad between the municipalities of Montes Claros and Monte Azul in northern Minas Gerais, focusing on the communities of Orion, Quem-Quem and Tocandira from the installation, privatization of railroad transportation of freight and the extinction of passenger railroad transportation. It was used the qualitative methodology, developing an exploratory, descriptive and analytical study. The data collection tools used were Snowball, in-depth interview to 15 residents of the three communities, the study of legal documentation relating to the privatization, auction and concession to explore the service of railroad transportation. For result analysis it was used the technique of content analysis of Bardin. The results obtained allow us to affirm that the installation of the railroad from 1940 in the region was factor stimulating the development, settlement and emergence of cities and small towns consolidating a new way of life. Privatization and disabling of the transport of freight and passengers in 1996 caused impact in this way of life, many lost their labor activity, families moved from locations that were without any means of transportation, the government has not prepared nor had a relationship of attention to these communities affected by its action matching the neoliberal perspective. The minimum income programs and other public policies made possible the survival and improvement of life of a portion of the population throughout the country. It occurred expanding of the labor market in areas such as agriculture and civil construction. The structuration of the road network in the region allows us to affirm that railroad transportation remaining its offer in the way it was stopped, hardly would attend the requirements of speed in which insert this other modality.