Rede Ferroviária Federal S.A.

The Rede Ferroviária Federal, Sociedade Anônima (RFFSA, pronounced as Refesa) () was the State-owned national railway company of Brazil created from Brazilian Federal Law #3.115 on March 16, 1957, after several railroads were nationalized by the Brazilian government. However, the railroad did not take full effect until September 30, 1957. The RFFSA linked 42 railways together (both on documents and actual railroads), creating a regional system composed of 22 railroads. The goal of the RFFSA was to promote and advance the railroad sector of Brazil, creating a north-south-east-west rail network in all five regions of Brazil. But it failed and the RFFSA only served four of the five regions with a north-south rail network win 19 units of the federation of Brazil. By 1999, freight service of the railroad was liquidated and privatized, with the passenger service of the railroad liquidations occurring in 2007.

==Federal Authority== right|thumb|275px|The former headquarters of the RFFSA in Juiz de Fora. According to Article 7 of Law #3.115 which created the RFFSA, the company was given the following powers for the operation of the railroads: The company must manage, operate, maintain, refurbish, expand, improve and maintain traffic on the railways it built. Introduce (at face value) bearer bonds of its own issue or the issue of the companies that will be organized with a limit of two for paid-in capital, with or without a guarantee from the Treasury. Subscription of capital from companies under its control and the consent to grant them loans or guarantees. Organize and supervise the management of the companies under its control, as well as its methods and procedures for operation under contract to provide services to guarantee these companies technical assistance, accounting, legal, and administrative services. Propose revisions and modifications of tariffs, as necessary, to the Departamento Nacional de Estradas de Ferro who would review the proposals and submit the final approval to the Ministro da Viação e Obras Públicas. Create a business plan and approve the budgets of the companies under its control, monitoring their respective operations. Restructure staffing quarters of personnel according to the needs of service and regional standards of living set on a fixed number in the companies’ organization, remuneration, rights and duties. Conduct all the works of studies and construction of railroads which have been approved by the União for which they are provided resources.