The Public Ministry of São Paulo (MP-SP) stated this Thursday (12) that it will investigate the new operational failure on Line 8-Diamante, managed by the concessionaire Motiva/ViaMobilidade, which occurred early in the morning.
As shown by g1 and TV Globo, passengers were trapped for more than 40 minutes on a train without air conditioning on the stretch between General Miguel Costa and Carapicuíba stations, in Greater SP.
To leave the train, passengers broke the windows and began walking along the tracks. The situation caused traffic to stop as a safety measure.
According to prosecutor Silvio Marques, the recurring problems on lines 8-Diamante and 9-Esmeralda are already being investigated in a civil inquiry opened last year by the Public and Social Heritage Prosecutor's Office of the Capital.
"The constant problems occurring on lines 8 and 9 of metropolitan trains are already under investigation in a civil inquiry initiated by the Public and Social Heritage Prosecutor's Office of the Capital. The failures that occurred today will be investigated. The responsibility of Artesp, the state agency that handles the concession, will also be verified and any legal measures will be communicated in due course", he stated.
The prosecutor also said that he will investigate whether there was an omission by the São Paulo State Transport Agency (Artesp) in monitoring the concession contract.
"Artesp should constantly monitor this concession. With the investigation of persistent non-compliance, the agency may even declare the expiry [termination] of the concession contract. That's why I will verify Viamobilidade's responsibility and Artesp's eventual omission", he said.
In 2023, ViaMobilidade had already been the target of a broad investigation by the same prosecutor's office. At the time, the concessionaire signed an agreement with the Public Ministry to compensate passengers with almost R$800 million.
The agreement provided that part of the resources — at least R$150 million — would be allocated to investments in improvements to lines and stations, in addition to the construction of schools and a sports complex.
Prosecutor Silvio Marques highlighted, however, that the agreement does not prevent further investigations nor guarantee immunity to the concessionaire.
"The agreement signed in 2023 with the Public Ministry does not guarantee immunity to the ViaMobilidade concessionaire. People directly affected can film and photograph what happened and write down the names of witnesses. They can file an action for compensation for material and moral damage against the concessionaire. This action is free and does not require the hiring of a lawyer, as the legislation that deals with small claims can be applied", he stated.
The Transport Agency of the State of São Paulo (Artesp), an agency of the Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) government, reported that it is in contact with the concessionaire's operating board and is demanding measures to serve passengers and improve communication.
"The Agency has already asked the concessionaire for detailed information about what happened and the measures adopted. Significant delays in the circulation of trains are registered as notable incidents and the sanctions provided for in the contract may be applied, including fines", he declared.
The state body also stated that it inspects the transport systems granted in the state of São Paulo and continuously monitors records of failures and incidents.
According to a TV Globo production survey, Lines 8-Diamante and 9-Esmeralda, both managed by Motiva/ViaMobilidade, lead the number of failures among São Paulo's metropolitan transport systems in 2026.
Of the 185 failures recorded this year on lines granted to the private sector and those operated by Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM), 39 occurred on Line 8-Diamante and another 34 on Line 9-Esmeralda, until the beginning of November.
Together, the two lines account for 40% of all failures recorded in the system in 2026.
