(Business in Cameroon) – Central African Republic (CAR) President Faustin-Archange Touadéra presided on November 1 over the groundbreaking of the headquarters of Trans African Railways System Ltd in Pani, about 30 km from Bangui. The company is leading the long-delayed railway project between the CAR and Cameroon.
The establishment of the project company marks a new step toward implementation. First announced 14 years ago, the 1,400 km railway will be developed through a public-private partnership between the CAR government and British investors.
“The CAR’s landlocked geography makes transport challenging. Through this strategic partnership with our British friends, we are launching an ambitious rail link between Bangui and Cameroon, via Ombella-Mpoko, Lobaye, and Mambéré-Kadey, to the port of Kribi,” said Transport Minister Herbert Gontran Djono Ahaba during the ceremony.
While the project’s cost, financing details, and construction start date remain undisclosed, Trans African Railways System Ltd says the line will create jobs, cut transport costs by up to 70%, and facilitate the export of mineral resources—especially the country’s 20 billion tons of proven iron ore reserves.
As a key tool for regional integration, the new railway is also expected to increase traffic through Cameroon’s Kribi port, which already handles about CFA55 billion in Central African trade each year, mainly timber and consumer goods. Volumes are expected to grow further once mining exports begin.
However, the project’s full potential depends on the long-delayed construction of a mineral terminal at Kribi port, linked to the Mbalam-Nabeba iron project straddling Cameroon and Congo. The related contracts, including for a 500 km railway from Mbalam to Kribi, were signed in 2022 with a consortium formed by AustSino of Australia and Bestway Finance Ltd of Singapore.
