VLI Saves 4 Million Liters of Diesel with Semi-Autonomous Leader System

Brazilian rail company VLI reported that, through the use of the semi-autonomous Leader technology, it managed to save more than 4 million liters of diesel in its rail operations. The system, implemented since May 2024 on the fleet's premium locomotives, also avoided the emission of more than 9,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) through July 2026.

The system analyzes real-time data on track conditions and train dynamics to calculate a more efficient driving strategy. Based on this analysis, it adjusts the train's acceleration, braking and speed with the aim of reducing fuel consumption, while respecting operational constraints, travel times and asset integrity.

Leader is currently used on roughly 60% of VLI's rail trips. On the company's busiest freight corridors, the tool generated an average savings of approximately 8% in diesel consumption. The results cover the North Corridor, which connects Tocantins with the Port of Itaqui via the Norte-Sul Railway, and the East and Southeast corridors, which link producing regions with the Espírito Santo port system and with the Port of Santos via the Centro-Atlântica Railway.

The reduction in diesel consumption is part of VLI's decarbonization strategy. In 2025 the company cut greenhouse gas emissions per tonne transported from locomotive diesel by 12.5%, compared to the 2020 baseline, with the goal of reaching 15% by 2030. The company has published independently audited emissions inventories since 2020 and holds the Gold Seal of the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program.

Alessandro Gama, VLI's Executive Director of Planning, Engineering and Technology, stated that the decarbonization agenda is a competitiveness factor in logistics operations. According to the executive, rail transport emits around six times less CO2 than road transport when comparing diesel use in both modes, and technologies such as Leader allow productivity gains to be converted into concrete environmental benefits.