After almost five months stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tourist train that connects São João del Rei to Tiradentes, in Campo das Vertentes, will start circulating again on September 4th.
Maria Fumaça was suspended on March 15 by the operator VLI, with the objective of safeguarding the health of passengers and employees of the company due to the risk of dissemination of Covid-19.
Ticket sales will be held at the box office, at stations in both cities and over the internet, starting next Wednesday (2).
Changes
According to the company, the resumption of service required a series of measures to guarantee the full safety of passengers and employees when boarding, during the journey and when disembarking.
The protocols that will be adopted at São João del Rei / Tiradentes stations and passenger cars follow the determinations of the Ministry of Health, regulations of the Sanitary Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and are in line with state and municipal health guidelines.
Among the procedures adopted by VLI, we highlight the limitation in the number of trains and seats, the social distance during the sale of tickets, boarding and disembarkation; measurement of passengers’ body temperature; offer of gel alcohol for hand hygiene on the premises of stations and inside passenger cars; besides the mandatory use of masks.
The craft fair at the station and the visit to the São João del Rei Railway Station Museum remain suspended to avoid crowds.
Operation
The ticket office in São João del Rei is open from Wednesday to Saturday (from 8 am to noon; and from 1 pm to 5 pm); Sunday (8 am to noon)
Tiradentes opens on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (from 8 am to noon; and from 1 pm to 5 pm); Sunday (8 am to noon). The full fare is R$ 70 (one way) and R$ 80 (one way) and half-price is R $ 35 (one way) and R$ 40 (one way).
Train departure times
São João del Rei to Tiradentes
09/04 (Friday) – 10am
09/05 (Saturday) – 10am and 2pm
06/09 (Sunday) – 10am (exceptionally on the eve of the holiday).
Other times can be consulted on the administrator’s website.
Source: G1
