Mulino: the study finds the train viable, but an independent third party will validate it

In his address to the nation marking two years in office, President Mulino said a study by a top-tier international firm concluded the railway is viable. He added that, out of responsibility, an independent international third party will validate that result before the State commits to what he called the largest investment in the country's history. He acknowledged the line will not be finished during his term and called for a national agreement so the project outlasts governments, as the Metro did.

Background & context

The June deadline produced a verdict, but not a document. The study, consolidated by AECOM under its $4.17 million contract, has not been published. Asking a second, independent reviewer to check it before committing funds is prudent for an investment the President himself estimates at around $5 billion.

Admitting the railway will not be finished in his term is candid, and consistent with the seven-to-eight-year build estimate. His call to make it a "work of state" echoes the argument the Comité Pro Tren published the same day.

What to watch: who the independent reviewer is, how long the review takes, and whether the study's core numbers, cost, demand, and financing model , are released for public scrutiny.