New Bungo Railway Route/Dr. António Agostinho Neto Airport Presented in South Africa
The new railway line that connects the center of Luanda, to the municipality of Icolo and Bengo, on a 40 km route, departing from Bungo station to the New International Airport of Luanda, Dr. António Agostinho Neto, was presented at the 12th edition of the Conference and Exhibition of the Southern Africa Railway Association (SARA) that took place from the 24th to the 27th of this month, in Johannesburg, South Africa, by the PCA of ARCCLA Catarino Fontes Pereira.
Speaking in the panel on “ The latest developments in the national railway programs of SADC member states” from the perspective of transport holders, Catarino Fontes Pereira, representing the Angolan Minister of Transport, Ricardo Viegas de Abreu, presented in general terms the milestones in the national railway sector, with emphasis on those registered by Caminhos de Ferro de Luanda (CFL) and Caminhos de Ferro de Moçâmedes (CFM).
The ongoing investments in the railway sector, the recent concession of the Lobito Corridor, the new railway line created to improve mobility between the city center of Luanda and the municipality of Icolo and Bengo, where the New Luanda International Airport is located, Dr António Agostinho Neto and the projects planned for the Moçâmedes Railway.
For the operation of the new Bungo/AAAN railway branch, the CFL will make available the New Diesel Mobile Units (DMU), modern and fast locomotives with a large passenger capacity, which will allow greater mobility between the center of Luanda and the municipality of Icolo and Bengo , particularly to travelers.
For the 12th Edition of the SARA Rail Conference & Exhibition, which took place under the motto “Improving the Capacity and Quality of Railway Services through New Operational Models and Partnerships for Regional Integration and Continuous Trade”, the Ministry of Transport highlighted a delegation that it included directors and technicians from ARCCLA, ANTT, CFL, CFB and CFM, headed by the President of the Board of Directors of the Regulatory Agency for Cargo and Logistics Certification of Angola, Eng. Catarino Fontes Pereira.
The SARA Conference & Exhibition is one of the most prestigious events in the African railway industry, and brings together leaders and professionals in the sector to analyze and discuss new trends, technological advances and best practices in the railway field.
The Angolan delegation to the event participated in different panels and discussions, with emphasis on those relating to the Governmental Perspectives of SADC Member States; Innovation, Competitiveness and Quality of Railway Services; SADC Railways Perspectives; Financial and Technical Resources, and Railway Facilitators; with a view to strengthening international partnerships, sharing knowledge, promoting advances in the Angolan railway and expansion into neighboring countries.
The Angolan delegation led by Catarino Fontes Pereira, maintained contacts with Government institutions, operators and railway service providers, such as Prasa, UK Tróade, Huawei, Tazara, Botswana Railways, Gautrain, NRZ, TRC, Pandrol, in search of exchange of experiences between railway companies in the respective countries, technical support and the possibility of future cooperation agreements.
Angolan delegates also participated in the CEO’s round table and the panel on “ cargo and passenger transport” on the topics “navigating the future: Development, innovation and trends in passenger transport”, where CFB-EP and Prasa, They presented their arguments within the framework of their realities. Also “Rail Transport as the Rearguard for Regional Integration Railways ” moderated by CFB-EP, and included Als-tom, CFM-Moçambique, Nacala Corredor, Transnamib.
When the curtain came down on the Conference and Exhibition of the Southern African Railway Association, its President, Eng. Agostinho Júnior, thanked the sponsors, the presence and participation of all delegates and gave special thanks to the Angolan delegation made up of ARCCLA, ANTT , CFL-EP, CFB-EP and CFM-EP, once again in a robust and innovative way.
The participation of the Angolan Delegation at SARA RAIL 2023 represents the commitment of Angola and Southern African countries to the development of railway transport in a sustainable and efficient way, and the promotion of connectivity and international trade.
The Southern African Railway Association (SARA), is the authoritative voice and advocate for rail transport within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and holds its annual conference and exhibition. The recently concluded RAIL 2023 entitled “Enhancing Railway Capacity and Quality of Services Through New Operating Models & Partnerships for Seamless Regional Integration & Trade”, achieved innovative discussions around the transformation of railway operations in the region.
Approaches such as strategies for continued regional integration, cybersecurity on railways, the transformative role of customer-centric innovations in railway services, the role of green technology, sustainable mobility, public-private partnerships and innovative financing models for railway projects, among others filled the four days of work of the 12th edition of SARA.
Approaches such as strategies for continued regional integration, cybersecurity on railways, the transformative role of customer-centric innovations in railway services, the role of green technology, sustainable mobility, public-private partnerships and innovative financing models for railway projects, among others filled the four days of work of the 12th edition of SARA.
