Gabon Launches Second Phase of Trans-Gabon Railway Modernization: New Rails and $580 Million Investment

The government of Gabon and Société d’exploitation du Transgabonais (SETRAG) have signed an agreement for the second phase of modernization of the Trans-Gabon Railway, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

This 648 km railway connects the capital Libreville on the Atlantic coast with the city of Franceville in the southeast of the country.

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Work will be carried out on the sections from Ndjolé to Alamba and from Mvengué to Franceville.

The modernization will involve laying new rails weighing 60 kg/m to replace the old 50 kg/m rails, as well as replacing wooden sleepers with two-block concrete ones.

The project is valued at 359 billion CFA francs ($580 million). Of this amount, 130 billion CFA francs will be provided by the Gabonese government, and the remaining 220 billion CFA francs will be provided by SETRAG. The work is expected to be completed by 2028.

In addition, the Gabonese government will finance the purchase of new passenger rolling stock.

The first phase of modernization, which is nearing completion, involved the reconstruction of the section from the Owendo port, located south of Libreville, to Ndjolé in the central part of the country.

During this phase, 300 km of track was renewed and 225 km of new rails were laid. The cost of the first phase was 230 billion CFA francs.

SETRAG has the right to operate freight and passenger transport on the Trans-Gabon Railway for 30 years under a concession agreement that runs until 2035.

Passenger trains operate on this route four days a week, and the schedule includes 17 freight trains per week.

In 2022, 248,000 passengers and 10.9 million tons of cargo were transported on this railway.

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