A collaborative initiative to renovate the railway line connecting the mining districts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with the Atlantic Ocean has been announced by Angola and the DRC.
A 30-year concession to run the line from the Angolan port of Lobito to Kolwezi, in the centre of the DRC’s mineral-producing area, was given to a consortium of investors earlier this week by Luanda and Kinshasa.
100 years ago, British investors built the 1,700 kilometre railway route.
The $555 million project, funded in part by the US, is anticipated to expand copper ore and other product exports, foster regional commerce, and fortify Angola’s relations with Western nations.
The DRC is the world’s leading producer of cobalt and Africa’s leading producer of copper, two minerals used in the manufacture of solar panels and electric cars.
According to the Angolan operator, Vecturis, work should start within the next three months.
The consortium, which includes commodities trader Trafigura and Portuguese construction company Mota-Engil, hopes to reduce the journey time between the DRC and Lobito to less than 36 hours, with at least six trains a day over the next five years.
