With West Africa’s population surpassing 450 million and its vast oil, gas and critical mineral resources being put into production, the region has experienced steady economic growth at an average annual rate of 6% over the last decade.
Projected infrastructure needs indicate a necessary annual investment of approximately $180 billion by 2025.
Vital to this development are ongoing railway projects aimed at supporting the region’s economic growth, facilitating the transport of resources, and fostering greater connectivity among West African nations.
TransGuinean Railway Corridor
Mining producer Rio Tinto, conglomerate Winning Consortium Group, and state-owned Transguinénne laid the first beam earlier this month for the TransGuinean railway in Guinea-Conakry.
The railway will connect the Simandou iron ore mine to the future port of Morebaya on the country’s Atlantic coast.
The Simandou reserves are located in the Simandou Mountains, near the borders of Liberia and Ivory Coast, necessitating the construction of a 600-km railway.
The TransGuinean railway corridor will feature 235 bridges and over 24 km of tunnels, with the longest tunnel spanning 11 km. Completion is set for the end of 2024.
Dakar Regional Express Train
Phase two of the Dakar Regional Express Train (TER) is also due for completion in 2024, extending Senegal’s rail line to connect Dakar city center with Blaise Diagne International Airport.
The project – implemented in two phases by French utility company Engie and multinational construction group Thales – features a 55-km rail track with 14 stations and two maintenance sites.
The first phase upgraded existing infrastructure between Dakar and the city of Diamniadio in December 2021.
Phase two aims to transport 115,000 daily passengers, extending eventually to towns like Sandiara and Saly.
Grands Trains du Sénégal
Last February, Senegal launched the Thiès-Diamniadio passenger train route, a key step in the larger rail infrastructure revitalization project led by state-owned Grands Trains du Sénégal (GTS).
GTS is upgrading tracks and acquiring new trains to boost socioeconomic growth, reduce road accidents and promote regional trade.
The company’s next step will be to reopen the line connecting the Port of Dakar and Tambacounda, a crucial gateway to Casamance and Senegal’s mining zones. Plans currently outline four travel routes, with ambitions to expand the network further into Mali in the future.
Kano-Maradi Railway
The Kano-Maradi rail project, now at 80% completion and scheduled to be completed by 2025, runs from Kano, Nigeria, to Maradi, Niger.
It aims to boost trade and provide a new transport option for local communities. With a total estimated cost of $2 billion, the project has spurred the interest of banks like Afreximbank, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, African Finance Bank, Rand Merchant Bank and China Construction Bank.
The project also envisions a potential extension to Algeria, supporting regional connectivity aspirations.
