DRC – A mega railway project

This project stems from a collaboration agreement signed between the Congolese government and the Congolese public limited company Congo Railway (CR) concerning the concessioning of railway infrastructure and the operation of railway activity in the DRC. This concession, lasting 30 years, covers 10,000 km of railway network, including 5,000 existing and 5,000 new to be built on 8 corridors. This network is divided into three main axes: the western network which includes Banana-Boma-Matadi-Kinshasa and Ilebo; the southern network which will start from Sakania-Lubumbashi-Kolwezi-Ilebo with a link connecting Kolwezi to Dilolo; the eastern network from Kamina-Kindu-Bukavu-Bumba. The latter will also have a link connecting Kananga, Mbuji-Mayi and Kalemie.

Alongside this railway megaproject, Congo Railway will develop three other projects: the production of electricity from photovoltaic and biomass power plants; the deployment and operation of optical fiber along the railway; and real estate development, with the aim of transforming stations into real estate parks including shopping centers.

These networks aim to connect all 26 provinces of the country and link the DRC to its nine neighbors. This project, a catalyst for economic diversification, will generate more than 100,000 direct jobs and hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs.

The consortium, which brings together local and German investors, intends to raise $25 billion over a 30-year period. The allocated funds will primarily be used to build and modernize 10,000 km of rail, 5,033 km of which are already managed by the Société commerciale des Transports et des Ports (SCTP), the Société nationale des Chemins de fer du Congo (SNCC), and the Chemins de Fer des Uélé (CEFU). These three companies, which were previously autonomous, will be formed into a single enterprise called "Chemin de fer du Congo."

This project will undoubtedly be the pivotal factor in the country's successful integration into the African Continental Free Trade Area. It is also the backbone that will enable the DRC to set the pace for regional and sub-regional trade.