Regauging in Cote d'Ivoire?

[John Ashworth]

REGAUGING IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE?

Railways Africa on June 23, 2011 in West Africa

Current plans talk of rebuilding the 1,143km, metre-gauge railway from Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire to Ougadougou in Burkina Faso to 1,435mm. This is in line with present endeavours in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. For the moment, Nigeria has dropped earlier intentions to change to 1,435mm in place of its longstanding “Cape gauge” (1,067mm).

The Economic Community of West African States has contracted Typsa of Spain to undertake technical studies, expected to take a year, for rehabilitation, regauging and extension of the railway at a cost of €1·1m, funded by the European Union.

Though owned in respective sections by the two countries, unified operation has been in place since 1995, when Sitarail – a subsidiary of French-owned Bolloré Africa Logistics – gained a 15-year concession. Only 24 locomotives are reportedly in working order however and less than a million tonnes of freight are being moved annually.

The consultants are being asked to design a 420km extension beyond the railhead at Kaya to the Niger capital Niamey, including conversion to 1,435km gauge. (The 125km Ouagadougou-Kaya section is currently out of use), For the first 170km from Kaya to Dori, this is expected to follow the route of a proposed extension to Tambao in north-east Burkina Faso, after which the line would turn east across the Niger border to Terá and Niamey.

The consultants have been asked to draw up tender documents for both the modernisation work and construction of the extension. Ecowas is planning round-table discussions to encourage interest from potential donors.