[4][5][9] The building of the Vitória-Minas Railroad began at the end of the 19th century and had a profound impact on the indigenous populations of the region, particularly the Crenaque people [pt], affecting their cultural and social dynamics.

[4][5] The initial project, led by Pedro Augusto Nolasco Pereira da Cunha and João Teixeira Soares [pt], proposed transporting coffee production from Espírito Santo and the Vale do Rio Doce.

In 1911, after the railroad reached the current region of Naque, from where it would follow the course of the Santo Antônio River towards the center-north of Minas Gerais, the focus shifted to Itabira influenced by the growing mining activities related to iron ore extraction in the municipality.

[12] In the early 1920s, construction resumed and contributed to the development of the embryonic city of Coronel Fabriciano (initially a district of Melo Viana, belonging to Antônio Dias) and later to the Vale do Aço.

[4] In the following years, several changes were made to the route, including remodeling of the stretch between Vitória and Colatina, in Espírito Santo, and the introduction of the first diesel locomotives in the 1950s.

[23] Most of the products transported by the EFVM are destined for the Port of Tubarão, which features a fully signposted rail yard, one of the largest in Latin America, where wagons are sorted by gravity.

[24] At the beginning of the 2000s, CVRD initiated several community development projects aimed at the communities surrounding the railways,[21] including Educação nos Trilhos (Education on the Rails), first implemented on the Carajás Railway and in December 2003 on the EFVM, in partnership with Canal Futura, giving lectures on health, education and the environment at the railroad stations or in the wagons during journeys;[25][26] the Olha o Trem (Look at the Train) Project, aimed at safety around the railroad; and the Trem da Cidadania (Citizenship Train).

[23] In August 2014, the cars were replaced by a new fleet, bought in Romania, which now has a carriage for wheelchair users, air conditioning in all compartments and doors with automatic opening and a presence sensor.