Railways Africa NewsXpress: Week 04:2024
Railways Africa Magazine
Railways Africa? is the Authoritative Magazine for the rail industry in Africa
Zambia Issues Expressions Of Interest For The Nseluka To Mpulungu Railway Spur
The Republic of Zambia's Ministry of Transport and Logistics has initiated an open call for Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for the financing, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and transfer of the Nseluka to Mpulungu Railway Spur situated in the Northern Province of Zambia. This solicitation is part of a broader initiative by the Zambian Government to develop and commercialise vital railway projects to promote trade and consequently boost the country's economic growth.
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Inauguration Of Six New Stations For The Cairo Metro
The Cairo Metro Line 3 has undergone significant expansion with the inauguration of six new stations and a new terminus, with SYSTRA’s contribution. This extension, funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) , extends the line to the Ring Road encircling the city. It now serves the densely populated Imbaba district, providing fast and direct access to Cairo’s historic city centre, international airport, and other metro lines.
Fai?al Chaabane , Senior Vice President of Egypt & North Africa Executive Director, expressed pride in this development milestone. The Cairo Metro, used by nearly 4 million passengers daily, is a crucial mode of transport in the Egyptian capital. These new stations are expected to alleviate surface car traffic and improve life for local residents.
Since 2016, SYSTRA has been the General Consultant for Phase 3 of Line 3. Their role included reviewing execution studies and supervising the entire project, encompassing civil engineering, system installations, and the commissioning of rolling stock.
2024 Business Forecast: Tech-Driven Optimism Meets Rising Geopolitical Challenges
Despite the challenges of 2023 and escalating geopolitical tensions, business leaders remain surprisingly optimistic for 2024, according to new research from Economist Impact and DP World – unveiled during the World Economic Forum . Great insight is offered in the report regarding African trade, as well as logistics and the continued trend toward greener more sustainable transport.
World Bank Group Statement On Debt Restructuring Agreement For Ghana
The The World Bank Group welcomes the agreement in principle on the key parameters of the proposed debt restructuring for Ghana reached by the Official Creditors’ Committee under the G20 Common Framework. This agreement, which is consistent with the Joint WB-IMF Debt Sustainability Framework, represents a critical milestone toward restoring debt sustainability in this country.
“This agreement will help unlock financial support by international financial institutions, including a US$300 million budget support operation supported by IDA, which will be considered by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors next week. This will help Ghana in its recovery, attracting investments and restoring a sustainable growth path,” said Ousmane Diagana , World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa.
The Resilient Recovery Development Policy Operation is the first in a series of three operations totalling US$900 million and part of a broad World Bank engagement in support of crisis response and resilience in Ghana. The country implements US$ 4.3 billion in commitments from the World Bank through national and regional projects focused on private sector development and jobs, inclusive service delivery and sustainable resilient development.
Lucchini South Africa Welcomes 2024 Learners: A Commitment to Empowerment and Skills Development
In an enlightening interview with Oddette Engle, Human Resource Manager at Lucchini South Africa, we delve into the heart of the learnership programme offered by Lucchini SA – a pivotal initiative in nurturing future talent. Since its inception in 2017, the programme has consistently welcomed ten or more learners annually, conditional on financial capacity, introducing them to the multifaceted world of production technology at NQF level three.
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Unbundling The Nigerian Railway System And Other Critical Issues
Understanding the unbundling of the Nigeria railway system and other critical issues in railway development are highlighted in this?Q&A?with Rowland Ataguba , a strategic railway delivery specialist based in the United Kingdom and a member of the?Nigerian Railway Corporation Unbundling Committee?under the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
He is the author of the 'Memorandum for a Constitution Amendment to Transfer Railway from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List'. This memorandum led to the passage of the Constitution Amendment 5th Alteration (No.16) Act, effecting the transfer.
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Ngqura Container Terminal Recruits Operators To Run A Full Three-Berth Operation
The Ngqura Container Terminal (NCT) has recruited a total of 36 operators of lifting equipment to run a full three-berth operation when South Africa’s citrus season begins in April.
The operators have commenced with their on-the-job training, which is designed to enable the operation of ship-to-shore cranes and rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes. Ship-to-shore crane training will take six weeks, while the RTG training will take three months.
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Eswatini Railways Issues Tender for Ka-Dake Truck Stop Development
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Infrastructure Development Bank Of Zimbabwe Changes Name To Accommodate New Mandate
In terms of the Finance Act, 2023 (No. 13 of 2023), the bank has been renamed from the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe to the Infrastructure and Development Bank of Zimbabwe (“the I&DBZ”) with effect from 1 January 2024.
This change of name was necessitated by the need to have a name that better reflects the bank’s broader mandate, which incorporates both infrastructure and developmental financing across all sectors of the economy.
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South Africa’s Progressive Business Forum Honours Afreximbank Board Member Ronnie Ntuli With Lifetime Achievement Award
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) board member Ronnie Ntuli has been awarded the Progressive Business Forum’s (PBF) prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award and was presented with the accolade at the Forum’s special celebrations marking three decades of democracy in South Africa.
The award, presented at the PBF’s inaugural “Show Up” awards ceremony, recognizes and celebrates individuals who have distinguished themselves in business, public service and, through their commercial, entrepreneurial and civic ventures. It also recognizes those who have acted to improve the common good and promote the well-being of others.
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Changes Coming For Kenya’s Railway Sector
In a bid to reinforce Kenya’s position as a key regional logistics hub and tackle the historical underinvestment in the railway sub-sector, the Cabinet on 15 January 2024, approved the Railway Bill 2024. This Bill is designed to introduce innovative methods for managing the nation’s railways, distinctly separating freight, commuter, and land development operations.
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By Leonard De Villiers ,?General Manager: Engineering Projects and Contracts at ACTOM Signalling, a division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd
Opinion Piece: Local Expertise And Solutions Needed To Address Challenges Faced By South Africa’s Rail And Transportation Sector
Despite having the most advanced railway system on the continent, with about 30,000 km of track, the South African rail and transportation sector is currently facing various significant challenges. State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) Transnet, which operates a freight rail division, is currently struggling with issues such as rampant vandalism, insufficient infrastructure and a lack of capacity and skills within its workforce. These challenges have resulted in significant disruptions and inefficiencies in the country’s transportation network, hindering the smooth flow of goods and services, as well as public transportation.
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By Marcel Bruyns , Sales Manager for Africa at Axis Communications
Opinion Piece: Riding The Rails To The Future, How Network Surveillance Can Revitalise SA’s Train Network
South Africa’s public transport systems are pivotal. Yet, Cape Town’s recent minibus taxi strike exposed its vulnerabilities, affecting both commuters and the region’s economy. The Western Cape felt the aftershocks, with damages to the province amounting to an estimated R5 billion.?Nearly three-quarters of businesses saw a decline in revenue, and 38% were left paralysed, underlining public transport’s role in regional economic health.
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Qalaa Holdings Not Building Railway Lines in Africa
Following recent media reports that Egypt’s Citadel (Qalaa Holding), would be implementing a railway line between Tanzania’s Dar Al-Salaam Port and Burundi, passing through Rwanda’s Kigali, as well as, a line between Kenya’s Mombasa Port and Uganda. The company has responded officially saying that Qalaa had invested in a railway project in Kenya & Uganda but exited that investment several years ago. Qalaa will follow the disclosure requirements, as it always does, if and when it decides to reinvest in that field.
International: Request For Expression Of Interest To Be Part Of A Possible Large-Scale Testing Of 100 DAC Pre-Deployment Trains In Europe (2026-2028)
Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail) invites the European Rail Freight Sector, its Customers and other stakeholders to openly express their interest to be part of the needed phase of large-scale testing of DAC technology (Digital Automatic Coupling for freight trains incl. DAC based applications) in 100 pre-deployment trains according to the DAC General Master Plan.
Dakar Electric Buses And Next Steps For TER
On Sunday, January 14, the Senegalese capital celebrated the commissioning of its electric Bus Rapid Transit (e-BRT) network. SYSTRA reports that it has been involved in this project since the preliminary stages, acting as project management assistant to the Dakar Urban Transport Executive Council (CETUD).
The entire journey now takes 45 minutes, compared with more than twice that time previously. It’s an ambitious project, but also an inclusive one, since the stations are adapted for people with reduced mobility (PRM) and protected from traffic flows, to ensure passenger safety. An estimated 300,000 passengers are expected to make use of the system daily.
The Senegalese authorities’ next step towards sustainable transport is the restructuring of Dakar’s network of 32 feeder bus routes, again with SYSTRA, to reorganise services around the BRT and the TER -regional express train, to encourage modal interconnections.
SYSTRA has supported the creation of phase 1 of the TER in 2021, equipped with the most modern systems (ERTMS 2 signalling, dual diesel-electric engines, etc.), followed by the e-BRT network from 2018 to 2024.
Africa Global Logistics Kenya Secures Strategic Land Allocation At Naivasha Special Economic Zone
Africa Global Logistics (AGL), a prominent player in Africa’s transport and logistics sector, has recently been allocated 20 acres of land at the Naivasha Special Economic Zone (SEZ) by the Government of Kenya. In an event presided over by the President of Kenya, H.E William Ruto, saw the issuance of Special Economic Zone licenses to AGL and other investors.
This strategic initiative by the government emphasizes the crucial role that Special Economic Zones play in catalysing industrialisation and fostering the development of domestic supply chains. The move is geared towards promoting and facilitating international trade by simplifying customs procedures and encouraging seamless intra–intra–Africa trade.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board Completes the Third Review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement for the Republic of Mozambique
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the Third Review under Mozambique’s three-year Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement. The Executive Board’s decision allows for an immediate disbursement of SDR 45.44 million (about US$60.7 million), usable for budget support, bringing Mozambique’s total disbursements under the ECF arrangement to SDR 204.48 million (about US$273 million). The three-year ECF arrangement aims to support Mozambique’s economic recovery and reduce public debt and financing vulnerabilities while fostering higher and more inclusive growth through structural reforms.