Benguela: Over 32,000 tons of products were transported through the Lobito Corridor in November, as announced by Nicolas Gregoir, director-general of operations at Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR). This development was revealed in Benguela during the visit of Makhtar Diop, the general director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to the LAR operations control center and office.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Gregoir highlighted that the operations align with the growth plan projected for 2025. He confirmed the port's normal operations, with daily shipments of copper and sulfur to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), aiming to enhance regional interconnection. Gregoir also outlined plans for 2026, focusing on increasing the transportation of goods and passengers, improving security procedures, and achieving a target of one million tons of products by the year's end. He identified border and terminal waiting times as challenges needing attention.
The Lobito Corridor serves as a crucial transportation route for people and goods, extending from Lobito to Luau in Angola, passing through the DRC, and entering Zambia. It facilitates connections to Indian Ocean ports in Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa. Recognized as a key component for economic diversification since 2018, the corridor spans 1,289 kilometers to the Angolan border. Efforts to modernize the Lobito-Luau railway line were prioritized after initial talks with neighboring countries faced strategic hurdles.
The management of the Lobito Corridor was awarded to the Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium through an international tender opened in September 2021. The contract was formalized in July 2023, involving a consortium comprising Trafigura (49.5%), Mota-Engil (49.5%), and Vecturis (1%), a Belgian rail transport specialist.
