Africa

  • Tanzanian electric train service reaches Dodoma (photo Yapı Merkezi) (2)
    News

    Tanzanian electric train service reaches Dodoma

    2024-08-09T11:00:00Z

    TANZANIA: The 258·2 km Morogoro – Dodoma standard gauge line was handed over with a ceremony on July 25 and the first electric passenger train service ran on August 1 with President Samia Suluhu Hassan onboard. The 201·8 km standard gauge line from Dar es Salaam ...

  • Al Boraq high speed train at Rabat
    News

    Moroccan high speed line extension support contract awarded

    2024-08-05T09:00:00Z

    MOROCCO: National railway ONCF has appointed a Franco-Moroccan consortium of Egis, Systra and Novec to provide project management assistance services to support the development of the Kénitra – Marrakech high speed line. The contract announced by the consortium on August 1 covers project management, operations master ...

  • Simandou loco order (Photo Wabtec)
    News

    Locomotives ordered to support Simandou iron ore venture

    2024-07-31T15:15:00Z

    GUINEA: The SimFer mining joint venture has awarded Wabtec a US$277m contract to supply Evolution Series ES43ACmi diesel locomotives for the Simandou iron ore project. The number of locos is not being disclosed but is understood to be several dozen. Wabtec said the dual-cab locomotives with ...

  • Transnet train
    News

    Transnet obtains US$1bn loan to stabilise South African rail network

    2024-07-22T11:00:00Z

    SOUTH AFRICA: The African Development Bank has approved a US$1bn corporate loan to support national rail, port and logistics company Transnet’s business recovery plan, and is considering two targeted grants. The 25-year government-guaranteed loan approved on July 12 will facilitate the first phase of Transnet’s US$8·1bn ...

  • Orient Express La Dolce Vita impression
    News

    Guardian of the Nile luxury cruise train planned

    2024-07-18T13:00:00Z

    EGYPT: Italian high-end hospitality company Arsenale and Egyptian National Railways have signed heads of terms for the launch of a Guardian of the Nile luxury cruise train in 2027. It is Arsenale’s fourth international rail cruise project, following announcements in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Uzbekistan. ...

  • Kenya SGR CRRC coach delivery (Photo CRRC)
    News

    More coaches to boost capacity on Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway

    2024-07-06T05:00:00Z

    KENYA: A further 20 coaches which CRRC Nanjing Puzhen is supplying to increase capacity on the 480 km Standard Gauge Railway route from Mombasa to Nairobi were shipped from Shanghai at the end of June. The contract signed in September covers a mix of first, second ...

  • Prototype wagon for the Lobito Atlantic Railway at Galison Group’s workshop in Welkom
    News

    Production of Lobito Atlantic Railway container wagons begins

    2024-06-20T13:00:00Z

    ANGOLA: South African company Galison Manufacturing has begun the production of 275 container wagons which railway concessionaire Lobito Atlantic Railway has ordered for delivery in three tranches from Q4 this year. The wagons are being made from high-strength steel to provided durability and a low weight ...

  • Tanzania SGR launch (Photo TRC)
    News

    Tanzania launches electric passenger train services

    2024-06-18T10:08:00Z

    TANZANIA: Passenger services on the 201·8 km electrified standard gauge railway from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro were formally launched on June 14. President Samia Suluhu Hassan paid the fares for the 1 400 passengers on the first trip. The journey time is less than 2 ...

  • sn-Thies-opening-ceremony
    In depth

    Africa: Reviving Sénégal’s run-down network

    2024-06-13T07:00:00Z

    Dakar’s TER suburban service kickstarted a rail revival in Sénégal, but further progress hinges on the direction of transport policy chosen following the presidential election in March. Murray Hughes reports.

  • 1-PRASA-train-Cape-Town-Fish-Hoek-Line-image-Benjámin-Zelki
    In depth

    Interview: ‘The commuter experience will be back to its best’

    2024-06-11T07:00:00Z

    South Africa’s Railway Safety Regulator is tasked with overseeing safe and secure rail services on a network ravaged by vandalism and asset theft over recent years. RSR is also implementing the government’s plan to open up the Transnet network to new entrants. Acting CEO Mmuso Selaledi explains the scale of the challenge to Benjámin Zelki.

  • Kenya Railways battery study (Photo Kenya Railways)
    News

    Nairobi battery commuter train study

    2024-06-11T05:00:00Z

    KENYA: Consultancy Systra has undertaken a study into the potential use of battery-powered trains on commuter services between Nairobi and Thika, around 40 km to the northeast. The study presented to Kenya Railways and World Bank officials in April looked at what would be involved in ...

  • Kenya Railways strategic plan launch event (Photo Kenya Railways)
    News

    Kenya Railways sets out strategic plan for 2023-27

    2024-06-06T11:00:00Z

    KENYA: Kenya Railways has launched its strategic plan for 2023-27, setting out a medium-term policy, legal, institutional and regulatory framework to transform itself into the ’leading transport service provider in the region’. The plan includes developing and upgrading rail infrastructure, increasing freight and passenger capacity, expanding ...

  • Abuja metro inauguration (Photo President's office) (3)
    Metro Report International

    Abuja metro services relaunched

    2024-06-06T11:00:00Z

    NIGERIA: President Bola Tinubu relaunched passenger services on the Abuja metro on May 29, when he announced that travel would be free until the end of the year. His predecessor had launched a limited passenger service in 2018, but it was suspended in 2020 because of ...

  • za transnet-freight-train
    News

    Inland port association aims to get more freight onto South Africa’s railways

    2024-06-04T10:00:00Z

    SOUTH AFRICA: The Multimodal Inland Port Association has been formed to act as a unified voice advocating for freight modal shift from road to rail. MIPA aims to encourage private investment and participation in rail reform, to foster trade activities that meet social objectives and to ...

  • Kinshasa Centrale station
    Metro Report International

    Alstom to support Kinshasa urban rail project

    2024-06-04T05:00:00Z

    DR CONGO: Alstom has signed a memorandum of understanding to co-operate with Africa Finance Corp in the development of the 300 km MetroKin urban rail project in fast-growing Kinshasa.

  • Alstom signalling equipment (Photo Alstom)
    News

    Egyptian resignalling project completed

    2024-06-02T05:00:00Z

    EGYPT: Alstom has completed a programme to resignal the 240 km line running up the Nile south of Cairo from Beni Suef to Asyut. This has increased capacity and raised the line speed to 160 km/h. The signalling renewals included replacement of the previous electro-mechanical equipment, ...

  • Traxtion has completed a major overhaul of five Class 39 diesel locomotives
    News

    Locos modernised for African lease fleet

    2024-05-21T11:01:00Z

    SOUTH AFRICA: Leasing company Traxtion has completed a major overhaul of five Class 39 diesel locomotives which it acquired from South Africa’s Transnet Freight Rail as part of a strategy of expanding its fleet to meet a growing demand for rail freight services in Sub-Saharan Africa. ...

  • Velaro EGY on test
    News

    Velaro EGY high speed train for Egypt on test

    2024-05-21T08:00:00Z

    Source: Siemens Mobility EGYPT: The first of the Velaro EGY high speed trainsets which Siemens Mobility is to supply to Egypt is undergoing dynamic testing at the Wegberg-Wildenrath circuit in Germany ahead of delivery later this year. Siemens said the start of testing marked ‘a big ...

  • Cairo Metro Line 3 (Photo Alstom)
    Metro Report International

    Cairo metro line 3 Phase 3C opens

    2024-05-20T11:00:00Z

    EGYPT: Phase 3C of Cairo metro Line 3 opened for passenger services on May 15. The extension runs 7 km from Kit-Kat to Cairo University in Giza with three underground and two elevated stations, and takes Line 3 to 41·2 km with 34 stations in total. ...

  • Sierra Leone loco staff (Photo CRRC)
    News

    President unveils Sierra Leone iron ore railway locos

    2024-05-17T14:00:00Z

    SIERRA LEONE: President Julius Maada Bio attended the unveiling of 10 diesel locomotives which CRRC Ziyang has supplied for the 197 km railway linking Leone Rock Metal Group’s New Tonkoliri Iron Mine with the port of Pepel. The locos were unveiled on ...