Estrada de ferro de Sobral: uma análise histórico-econômica (1881-1926) Sobral

Abstract

The Sobral Railway, located in the northern region of Ceará, connected the coastline of Camocim, a maritime outlet for the transport of goods, to the city of Sobral, commercial center of the period, extending to Ipu, a city at the foot of Ibiapaba range, big producer of goods for local consumption and exportation. Constructed with the stated goal of combating the droughts that affected this micro-region, it also had the purpose of economical development and to bring technical progress to the countryside of Ceará. The main objective of this study is to investigate the economic data of the Sobral Railway, in the temporal cut of 1881 to 1926 and, considering the historical background, verify whether the objectives set by the railway construction planners were achieved. To examine the matter in greater detail, were established the specific objectives were to analyze the reasons behind the railway9s construction, to evaluate its costs in relation to its revenues, and to understand the influence of climatic phenomena on the movement of goods, in addition to other factors that affected the financial movement of the railway. For this, it analyzed the economic data provided in the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Transport and Public Works9 reports, available at the National Library, and it was transcribed into digital tables, processed, and presented in the form of graphs. As an academic complement, research was also conducted using contemporary newspapers, President of the Province of Ceará9s reports (later the State of Ceará), Ministry of the Empire9s reports, and bibliographic sources addressing the subject. The work concluded that the railway formulators' objectives were partially met, largely due to the lack of efficient policy formulation concerning the railway's issues.