Four GL30 Locomotives Set to Boost Camrail Operations
In 2025, Railco Africa sold eight GL30 locomotives to Africa Global Logistics (AGL) for deployment in West Africa, with four allocated to SITARAIL and the remaining four destined for CAMRAIL.
In November, the Railways Africa team toured Railco Africa’s facility, where the four GL30 locomotives for SITARAIL were undergoing servicing and modification for operations. During the visit, Railco Africa Director Andrew Thomas outlined the scope and progress of the project. The video from that visit can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/gZ23l4IPi98?si=mP-vBa8kvWJ5mWMZ
As a project update, the four locomotives supplied to SITARAIL have since been delivered. CAMRAIL is now set to boost its rolling stock fleet with the remaining four GL30 locomotives, which have undergone a similar process. As with the SITARAIL units, these locomotives were subject to servicing, selected component replacement, conversion from Cape gauge to metre gauge, and extensive testing prior to dispatch.
CAMRAIL operates a railway using 100 percent air-braked wagons. As a result, the compressor exhausters were removed and replaced with dedicated air compressors, and all vacuum brake pipework was removed from the locomotives.
The coupling system used in Cameroon differs from that originally fitted to the locomotives. The E-type couplers were replaced with Willison-type couplers, and coupler heights were adjusted accordingly.
Two of the locomotives were dispatched in November last year, with the final two shipped from Richards Bay in late January.
