Territorial Disputes in Railway Building in the Province of São Paulo: the Paulista Railway Company and the Question of Privileged Zone, 1868-1892

Abstract

Railway construction in the province of São Paulo in the second half of the
Nineteenth Century involved several competing companies vying to provide transport service, especially the Paulista, Mogiana, Ituana and Rio Claro Companies. This happened because the activity in this region was very profitable due to the presence of coffee cultivation. The competition to provide transport services became territorial disputes through mechanisms such as right-of-way monopolies over land located thirty-one miles of each side of railways. Concession contracts favored companies that signed first, which ended up stifling subsequent railway construction to the detriment of the regions served. Here some of the right-of-way disputes are presented, particularly those involving the Paulista Company. This was one of the largest railroad companies of the time, which sought to preserve its right-of-way in order to expand its railways and to increase the profitability of its business at the expense of rival companies.