Bolstering Africa's Railways: AUC's initiatives and partnerships for continental railway development
In an effort to bolster the railway sector across the African continent, the Department of Infrastructure and Energy (DIE) of the African Union Commission (AUC) is initiating a series of capacity-building endeavours. These initiatives are supported by the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), which contributes to the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).
One of the key outputs of this collaboration is the creation of a continental framework for Technology Transfer. This initiative is in alignment with the global Just Transition initiative and aims at developing comprehensive railway development guidelines. These guidelines, tailored to the unique African context, aim to enhance the technical and policy aspects of rail development and management at all levels and stages.
The Railway Development Guidelines for Africa or “Guidelines” will cover various aspects including the technical and policy considerations in planning processes, gauging railways within intermodal transport systems, financing structuring and economic appraisal, procurement processes, contract and project administration, project implementation, construction management and supervision, operations and maintenance.
In addition to this, the AUC is also fostering a collaboration with the International Union of Railways (UIC) to implement the roadmap for an African Continental Rail Market. Adopted in the 3rd ordinary session of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure, and Energy (STC-TTIIE) held in June 2022, the roadmap includes 10 actions aiming to rejuvenate the railway sector in Africa.
The collaboration between AUC and UIC will unfold through various avenues, including the launch of a collaborative continental railway development platform, the revival of the African Union of Railways (AUR) to oversee the implementation of continental railway standards, and facilitating the establishment of a seamless railway regulatory framework in Africa.
In light of these developments, the AUC, through the Department of Infrastructure and Energy, along with AUDA-NEPAD, RECs, GIZ, UIC, and AIHSRN foot-print pilot Member States, is organizing a workshop. The goal is to assess the National Readiness Strategy (NRS) for the aforementioned pilot projects, identify any gaps that need to be addressed to accelerate the implementation of AIHSRN projects, and collectively refine the approach to both the development of the Railway Development Guidelines for Africa and the AUC-UIC Cooperation.
