Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes on Sunday "inaugurated a light rail transport system just ahead of the Olympic Games, and was met by demonstrators who oppose heavy Games spending and Brazil's interim government," according to the AFP. The 28km VLT, as it is known, "runs from the downtown and port areas to Santos Dumont Airport, as Rio scrambles to ready for the first Olympics to be held in South America." Paes said, "We could hold the Games without having the VLT. But we can also seize this moment to improve the city's downtown [infrastructure]." As Paes spoke, some demonstrators booed and shouted "coup supporter."
It "was a reference to the government" of Brazil's acting President Michel Temer (AFP, 6/6). XINHUA reported the key transport line for the Olympics "will use Chinese trains designed and produced by CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co." One-hundred electric multiple units, a type of intercity, highspeed subway train from China, "will come into service for Rio Olympics." During the Games, which begin on Aug. 5, services on the new subway line, namely line 4, "will run from 6am to 1am on working days and Saturdays and from 7am to 1am on Sundays and public holidays." It "has a limited access to the Olympics related people during the Games, and will be fully operational towards the public after the Games." Track "has now been laid along the entire length of the new line, which begins in the famous beachside neighborhood of Ipanema and ends in Barra da Tijuca, home to Barra Olympic Park." During the Games, Barra Olympic Park "will be the heart of Games with nine venues hosting 16 Olympic and nine Paralympic sports, alongside the Main Press Centre and the International Broadcast Centre" (XINHUA, 6/4).
