DRC Orders New Locomotives and 42 Wagons as DRC Accelerates Rail and River Transport Upgrade
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has expanded the railway fleet of the Office National des Transports (ONATRA) as part of a broader government programme to modernise rail and inland waterway transport.
The programme includes a new freight locomotive, additional locomotives and 42 new wagons, alongside investments in river navigation equipment and vessels.
President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi inspected ONATRA’s new locomotive, numbered 1501, in Kinshasa on August 25 during the launch of a navigation-marking campaign on the Congo River and Kasaï River.
The locomotive is the first new unit to enter ONATRA’s long-distance rail fleet, while a second locomotive, 1502, is undergoing delivery.
The government is also finalising the acquisition of five additional locomotives, while 42 new wagons are scheduled to arrive on October 10, 2026.
The investment comes as ONATRA works to restore and expand railway services. The company has also resumed Kinshasa’s urban passenger train service, which had been suspended for 15 years, with a fleet of 17 passenger cars, including seven multiple-unit trains.
The rail investment is being implemented alongside efforts to strengthen the DRC’s extensive inland waterway network.
The country has about 25,000 kilometres of navigable waterways, of which approximately 16,000 kilometres have been classified and categorised.
The government has launched a navigation-marking campaign along the Congo River and Kasaï River to improve safety and identify navigable routes and hazardous areas. Two buoy-laying vessels and a multifunction dredger have been deployed as part of the programme.
ONATRA is also constructing six new pushers for freight transport, with two already operational.
The vessels are expected to strengthen barge traction and improve the movement of cargo along the country’s waterways.
The programme also includes a new metal passenger barge capable of carrying up to 98 passengers per trip.
Two additional units are under construction, with the government targeting 100 operational metal barges over time.
The wider investment programme is aimed at improving the movement of passengers and freight through greater integration between the DRC’s rail and inland waterway networks, while upgrading transport safety and operational capacity.
