Luanda Railway
Encyclopedia
The Luanda Railway or Angola Railway , is a 424 km railway-line from the Angola
n capital Luanda
to Malanje
for normal passenger and freight service. The Angolan civil war
left the railway non-functional. In 2005, a 350 million US Dollar rehabilitation project was launched with funding from the China International Fund
. From its terminal at the Atlantic port of Luanda, the railway heads inland towards Eastern Angola.
The project included the construction of 16 stations and 40 bridges. Attention to a number of drainage culverts and tree planting are among the few tasks yet to be implemented by the “China Ferrovia Group 20″ contractor.
and Luanda
. In November 2010, CFL announced hourly passenger trains between Viana
and Textang; in December 2010, container services commenced, serving a dry port near Viano
, and in January 2010 the first train reached Malanje
, but no daily service is running so far (2011)
In Mid-July 2011, the CFL announced the introduction of electronic ticketing on an experimental basis for interprovincial journeys, beginning July 18.
The government of Angola has stressed that competition from private rail businesses is welcome, in order to improve services.
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
n capital Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
to Malanje
Malanje
Malanje is the capital city of Malanje Province in Angola with a population of approximately 222,000. Nearby is the spectacular Calandula waterfalls, 85 km from the city. These falls are 105 metres high and their great width makes them the main tourist attraction in the region. It is a...
for normal passenger and freight service. The Angolan civil war
Angolan Civil War
The Angolan Civil War was a major civil conflict in the Southern African state of Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with some interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. Prior to this, a decolonisation conflict had taken...
left the railway non-functional. In 2005, a 350 million US Dollar rehabilitation project was launched with funding from the China International Fund
China International Fund
China International Fund is a Chinese-owned officially private company based in Hong Kong that describes its major businesses as including "large-scale national reconstruction projects and infrastructure construction in developing countries". The CIF and its associated companies in Hong Kong and...
. From its terminal at the Atlantic port of Luanda, the railway heads inland towards Eastern Angola.
The project included the construction of 16 stations and 40 bridges. Attention to a number of drainage culverts and tree planting are among the few tasks yet to be implemented by the “China Ferrovia Group 20″ contractor.
Resumption of services
In 2010, a passenger service resumed between Luanda and Malanje; Angola's Deputy Minister of Transport, José João Kuvingwa suggested that full operation could resume in 2011. In July 2010, a twice-weekly freight service began, between DondoDondo
Dondo is a city and seat of Dondo District of Sofala Province in Mozambique.According to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme following decentralization of political structure in Mozambique in the 1990s, a study in 1998 revealed that elected leaders in the city for Sofala Province lacked...
and Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
. In November 2010, CFL announced hourly passenger trains between Viana
Viana, Angola
Viana is a suburb of Luanda, Angola, in Luanda Province. It is home to about 6,000 long-term refugees, primarily from Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Viana is about a 90 minute drive from downtown Luanda...
and Textang; in December 2010, container services commenced, serving a dry port near Viano
Viano
Viano is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Emilia, in the Emilia-Romagna region of central Italy....
, and in January 2010 the first train reached Malanje
Malanje
Malanje is the capital city of Malanje Province in Angola with a population of approximately 222,000. Nearby is the spectacular Calandula waterfalls, 85 km from the city. These falls are 105 metres high and their great width makes them the main tourist attraction in the region. It is a...
, but no daily service is running so far (2011)
In Mid-July 2011, the CFL announced the introduction of electronic ticketing on an experimental basis for interprovincial journeys, beginning July 18.
The government of Angola has stressed that competition from private rail businesses is welcome, in order to improve services.
See also
- Benguela railway
- History of rail transport in AngolaHistory of rail transport in AngolaThe history of rail transport in Angola began during the nineteenth century, when Angola was a colony of Portugal. It has involved the construction, operation and destruction of four separate, unconnected, coast-to-inland systems, in two different gauges...
- Moçâmedes RailwayMoçâmedes RailwayThe Moçâmedes Railway is a 907 km railway line in Angola, between Namibe and Menongue in Cuando Cubango province....
- Rail transport in AngolaRail transport in AngolaRail transport in Angola. There are three separate unconnected lines - the Luanda Railway , the Benguela Railway and the Moçâmedes Railway A fourth system once linked Gunza and Gabala....