Commuters in São Paulo were forced to evacuate onto railway tracks in darkness on Thursday morning after a fire broke out on a train, triggering a power cut that halted three major lines. The blaze, which occurred around 5:40 a.m. local time on a Trivia Trens service near Brás station, caused the automatic shutdown of electricity substations, paralysing lines 11-Coral, 12-Safira and 13-Jade, according to the concessionaire and fire officials.

Passengers inside the affected carriage filmed flames and sparks, then walked along the elevated tracks to reach stations, some aided by police. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported, the São Paulo fire department said. The city suspended its morning vehicle restriction in the eastern zone and deployed emergency buses, while the metro added extra trains and opened free transfers at Tatuapé and Corinthians-Itaquera stations to absorb displaced riders. By mid-morning, the concessionaire said the fire was extinguished and power was being restored, but lines 12 and 13 remained suspended and line 11 operated only partially.

The disruption came just two days after Trivia Trens, a private consortium, assumed full operation of the three lines from the state-owned CPTM, following a 60-day transition period. The company had already recorded at least six minor failures in its first 48 hours, though none had previously halted services. The director of operations, Paulo Ferreira, told local radio that the initial hypothesis was a short-circuit in the train, but he ruled out sabotage. The state transport regulator Artesp said it was monitoring the situation and would consider contractual measures.

The São Paulo breakdown was the most severe of several urban rail disruptions reported globally on the same day. In Madrid, a trackside fire suspended high-speed AVE services between the capital and Barcelona, while in Indonesia, vandalism to signalling equipment delayed commuter trains on the Bogor–Jakarta route. In Montreal, passengers on the REM light-rail system were stranded for hours in a stalled train without air conditioning, prompting calls for a safety review. In Mexico City, two passengers were treated for heat stroke after a train was stuck in a tunnel on Line 7.

As of late morning in São Paulo, Trivia Trens said it was gradually restoring service, with line 11 running normally and line 12 operating partially, while line 13 and the airport express remained halted. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, and the company has pledged to implement corrective measures.