At the beginning of colonization, to transport commercial products to the state capital, cargo animals or primitive vehicles were used. The route was overland to São João de Montenegro, and then followed by river. In 1910, the railroad reached Carlos Barbosa, neighboring municipality of Bento Gonçalves, which facilitated this process.

However, for Bento Gonçalves there was still a 20-kilometer journey to the nearest train station. In addition, the economic scenario in the period was characterized by an increase in population and demand for products, which meant that drovers and freighters, which transported goods, were gradually replaced by commercial establishments such as cafes, workshops, dry goods warehouses and wet, among others. Still, the roads were precarious, making access to these establishments difficult for those who were far from the population centers.

Therefore, merchants and residents united in favor of their interests, founding the Commercial Association in 1914, through which they claimed a railway extension to Bento Gonçalves. The state government recognized the requirements and in 1919 inaugurated the long-awaited railway extension, linked to the cities of Garibaldi and Carlos Barbosa.

Its construction provided a great development in the region, being responsible for the construction of several houses to house the railway builders, many of them from other cities. Among these builders, there are records of the first blacks in the locality, who settled mainly in the Cidade Alta neighborhood.

In 1943, in order to extend the railway, the 1st Railway Battalion was installed in the city, which brought in another wave of migrants, as many families of railway workers moved to the city. The battalion operated in Rio Grande do Sul since 1889, under other names, and remained in Bento Gonçalves until 1971.

As of 1978, the train began to operate for tourists from Carlos Barbosa to Jaboticaba, under the control of Rede Ferroviária Federal S/A. Since 1993, the section Carlos Barbosa-Garibaldi-Bento Gonçalves has been maintained by Giordani Turismo.

Sources:

​

THE FORGOTTEN PAGE OF THE HISTORY OF BENTO. Bento Gonçalves, 17 nov. 2018. Available at: https://jornal Semanario.com.br/a-pagina-esquecida-da-historia-de-bento/.

​

BATTALION INAUGURATE MEMORIAL IN HONOR TO THE 1st RAILWAY BATTALION. Bento Gonçalves, 14 nov. 2018. Available at: https://www.eb.mil.br/web/noticias/noticiario-do-exercito/-/asset_publisher/MjaG93KcunQI/content/6-batalhao-de-comunicacoes-inaugura-memorial-em-homenagem -ao-1-batalhao-railroad/8357041.

CAPRARA, Bernadette Schiavo; LUCHESE, Terciane Angela. From Dona Isabel Colony to the Municipality of Bento Gonçalves 1875 to 1930 - Bento Gonçalves: VISOGRAF; Porto Alegre: CORAG - Companhia Riograndense de Artes Gráficas, 2005.

​

FROM PARIS, Assunta. ZARDO, Maria de Fátima Dill Silveira. The trajectory of trade in Bento Gonçalves. 1997.

BENTO GONÇALVES RAILWAY STATION COMPLETE 100 YEARS. Bento Gonçalves, 08 Aug. 2019. Available at: https://jornal Semanario.com.br/estacao-ferrea-de-bento-goncalves-completa-100-anos/.

​