Update on Chemin De Fer Congo-Ocean
The Congolese railway was relaunched in 2024 after starting work in 2021, continuing over 13 years. This crucial railway connects the port of Pointe-Noire with Brazzaville, aiding the movement of goods from the Atlantic Ocean and the Congo River. The 110km metre-gauge railway was initially designed to transport products from Gabon, Cameroon, Chad, and the Central African Republic to the ocean, and to transport manufactured goods from Europe in the opposite direction. Between 1959 and 1962, a railway was constructed to transport manganese from Gabon, spanning 280km, facilitating efficient mineral movement through Mont Belo to Pointe-Noire. Increased traffic and challenges led to further developments between 1978 and 1986, with a 91km line built between Bilinga and Dolisie to ensure seamless operations. The network faced high traffic volumes, especially during peak manganese transport years until Gabon constructed its own 600km railway in 1990, from Libreville to Franceville, diverting traffic away from Congo, particularly manganese. Despite historical interruptions and maintenance challenges, there is now a substantial demand for railway services in Congo, driven by the country’s mineral resources and wood exploitation. To meet this demand, CFCO has embarked on a comprehensive modernisation plan, including rehabilitating existing lines, modernising infrastructure, and acquiring new locomotives and wagons. In the medium and long term, the General Directorate aims to achieve 2,400,000 tonnes of goods excluding mining traffic and 1,500,000 passengers. To accomplish this, plans include making available an average of 50 mainline locomotives, 15 shunting locomotives, 3,000 freight wagons of all types, and 100 passenger coaches. Transporting minerals from M’Binda to Pointe-Noire will occur in three phases: 6 million tonnes per year for the first phase, 21.6 million tonnes per year for the second phase, and 32 million tonnes of minerals for the third phase. Achieving these objectives relies on implementing the Congo-Ocean Railway rehabilitation and modernisation project, under a memorandum of understanding signed between the Republic of Congo and the People’s Republic of China on March 12, 2019. The modernisation of the Pointe-Noire/Mont-Belo/M’Binda section was based on preliminary feasibility studies conducted by CIM, BUMCHANG ENGINEERING, and COSER in November 2014. This plan was developed to ensure safety, reliability, and meet essential railway operation requirements, focusing on economic investment and reducing maintenance costs. The related studies were presented in four phases:
- Rehabilitation of the existing line.
- Modernisation of light signalling and electrification.
- Realignment of small radius curves.
- Rehabilitation and modernisation of the former COMILOG line (Mont-Belo/M’Binda) and the Mont-Belo/Pointe-Noire section to ensure mineral traffic.
The rehabilitation plan for the existing line focuses on:
- Ensuring train circulation.
- Improving operational safety and transport efficiency.
- Implementing measures for transforming and modernising the railway network.
The project aims to renovate and recondition vulnerable track sections, carry out general rehabilitation of infrastructure, restore rail geometric conditions, and complete the fleet of high-power locomotives. The total investment for this phase is US$344 million, with a technical and economic indicator of US$660,000 per kilometre of track. The second phase aims to update, restore, and modernise Congo-Ocean Railway (C.F.C.O) equipment to enhance operational safety, traffic efficiency, and service quality. Telecommunications will deploy a physical material layer for voice and data transmission, supported by a twelve-strand optical fibre, with redundancy ensured by VHF or GSM-R links. The modern signalling system will include transport control and dispatching, train control, station interlocking, and centralised monitoring. All stations will connect to the national power distribution network. The investment for this phase is US$247 million, with an index of US$480,000 per kilometre. Completing this phase will improve train speed, reduce speed limitations, decrease rail friction on curves, and reconstruct sections with a minimum curve radius of 300 metres. The investment is US$607 million, with an index of US$8.62 million per kilometre. Rehabilitation and Modernisation of the Former COMILOG Line (Mont-Belo/M’Binda) and the Pointe-Noire/Mont-Belo Section for Mineral Traffic: The long-term objectives of the Congo-Ocean Railway (C.F.C.O) include:
- Rehabilitation of the Mont-Belo/M’Binda track.
- Renovation of stations between Pointe-Noire/Mont-Belo and Mont-Belo/M’Binda.
- Rehabilitation and equipping of depots in Dolisie and M’Binda.
- Modernisation of signalling with modern light systems.
- Modernisation of telecommunications (optical fibre, GSM-R, microwave links).
- Acquisition of new locomotives, freight wagons, and passenger cars.
Six solutions have been selected to achieve these objectives, considering economic imperatives and railway operation. CFCO seeks funding from the Chinese Exim Bank and other sources, including the African Union. Successful modernisation will boost national traffic and re-establish Congo as a vital transit hub for neighbouring countries, enhancing economic connectivity and growth in the region. CFCO, a public industrial and commercial establishment, was created by Ordinance No. 3-2000 on February 16, 2000, following the dissolution of the Transcongolaise Communications Agency. It operates with financial and management autonomy, governed by statutes approved by Decree No. 2000-15 on February 29, 2000. CFCO’s primary mission is to operate all railway transport activities (goods and passengers) and to develop and expand the railway network
