Rehabilitation of the Kinshasa-Matadi railway

Objective

This initiative aims to modernize and optimize railway infrastructure in the DRC, in order to promote economic development and facilitate the transport of goods. In addition, it will help to strengthen commercial and logistical links between Matadi and Kinshasa, thus opening new perspectives for the country

Description

History

The Matadi–Kinshasa Railway was built between 1890 and 1898 in order to bypass the series of rapids and falls which hindered access from the South Atlantic Ocean to the Congo Basin. An agreement was signed in July 2006 between ONATRA and a Chinese company (CMIC) which will renovate the track, trains, telecommunications, signal system and electric supply. The line reopened in September 2015 after around a decade without regular service. As of April 2016 there was one passenger trip per week along the line and more frequent service was planne