The Benguela Railway (CFB) has announced plans to resume regular train services between October and November 2024, addressing current limitations on seating capacity caused by technical issues.
In a statement issued to Jornal de Angola, CFB apologized for the disruptions affecting daily rail transport for users in the provinces of Huambo, Moxico, Bié, and Lundas Norte and Sul.
The reduction in seating has significantly impacted communities along the railway line connecting Benguela province to Luau in Moxico.
The regular transport schedule includes six weekly services for the Huambo/Luena/Huambo routes, six for Kuito/Luena/Kuito, ten for Luena/Luau/Luena, and two for Lobito/Huambo/Kuito/Luena/Lobito.
These services cater to over 95 percent of demand from residents along the railway, including those in Lundas Norte and Sul.
However, technical challenges related to worn wheelsets have diminished the safe availability of these services.
To address these issues, CFB is implementing a contingency plan to ensure the timely repair and replacement of the affected wheelsets by procuring new equipment from South Africa.
The company aims to restore adequate seating and regular transport frequencies by October and November 2024, coinciding with the arrival of the first batches of replacement materials.
