In the mid 1950's E.F. Araraquara broadened its gauge, which became the same of Companhia Paulista. This permited a fully operational integration between both railroads, as now their trains could run smoothly in both lines. This integration became closer after the take over of Companhia Paulista by the São Paulo state government in 1961, which already owned E.F. Araraquara. As a matter of fact, in 1967 Companhia Paulista fully assumed the administration of E.F. Araraquara, one of the first steps to prepare the merger of all São Paulo state-owned railrods to form FEPASA in 1971.

In 1963 E.F. Araraquara bought a fleet of Brazilian built Budd-Mafersa stainless steel cars to modernize its passenger rolling stock. However, the purchase only included First/Second Class, Restaurant and Sleperette cars; for some reason, Lugagge/Mail cars were not bought. So a solution was improvised: some Luggage/Mail cars of Companhia Paulista, originally built by American Car & Foundry in the 1920s, were painted in grey for use in the trains composed of Budd-Mafersa cars. This rare photo shows one of these grey A.C.F. cars heading an E.F.A. stainless steel train waiting for departure in a rainy day at Luz Station in São Paulo. This copy is courtesy of Antonio Carlos Belviso, from São Paulo SP. By the way, this train was pulled by a Vanderléia G.E. electric loco of Companhia Paulista.