(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s Transport Minister, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, shared that the government is buying nine locomotives as part of the first phase of a five-year rail expansion plan. Speaking to the Foreign Affairs Committee while discussing a maritime navigation bill, he also said that 60 more locomotives will be added in the second phase.
The second phase of the five-year rail plan, running from 2024 to 2029, will focus on expanding Cameroon’s railway network, operated solely by Cameroon Railways (Camrail). The minister said the new locomotives will support the launch of an express train service between Douala and Ngaoundéré.
Right now, only the Douala-Yaoundé route has an express train, which skips some stations to cut travel time.
In July 2021, four new locomotives were brought in to restart the Douala-Yaoundé express train. The service had been halted after the 2016 Eseka train tragedy, where about 100 people lost their lives. The minister mentioned that of the 40 train cars taken out of service after the disaster, 11 have since been repaired.
The rail development plan also includes upgrading and rebuilding existing lines, such as Douala-Yaoundé and Douala-Ngaoundéré, with standard-gauge tracks. It also plans to add new routes, including Limbe-Idenau, Ngaoundéré-Ndjamena, and Édéa-Kribi-Lolabé-Campo.
