- (Business in Cameroon) – Camrail now performs full maintenance of General Electric locomotive compressors in Cameroon, eliminating the need to send equipment to the United States.
- The move cuts intervention time and saves between CFA20 million and CFA25 million per compressor.
- Camrail is expanding its technical capacity and aims to position its Douala maintenance center as a service hub for African rail networks.
Camrail, the company that operates Cameroon’s railway concession, will no longer send the compressors of its General Electric locomotives to the manufacturer in the United States for maintenance. The company, which Africa Global Logistics (AGL) controls, said in an official statement released on November 13, 2025, that it will “from now on carry out all maintenance operations on the compressors installed on General Electric locomotives.”
The operator said it had previously carried out only pneumatic operations locally, while General Electric in the United States handled electrical work. Camrail said the full internalisation of compressor maintenance became possible “thanks to the skills development of the teams at the Bassa central workshops in Douala, who designed and manufactured in-house the tools needed to dismantle and reassemble these complex components.”
Camrail said the technical achievement reduces intervention delays and delivers savings of between CFA20 million and CFA25 million per compressor maintained locally. “This technical breakthrough perfectly illustrates our determination to strengthen Camrail’s industrial autonomy while promoting local skills. It aligns with our vision of a more agile, more efficient company resolutely focused on operational excellence,” said Camrail’s managing director, Joel Hounsinou.
Certifications for Knorr-Bremse equipment under development
Beyond the General Electric compressors, Camrail says it has “recognized expertise” in the overhaul of several types of compressors and other railway components. The company continues to develop internal maintenance capabilities. On April 1, 2025, Camrail announced that it was working to secure certified training from German manufacturer Knorr-Bremse.
“As is already the case with other manufacturers, these certifications will allow our teams to repair Knorr-Bremse components in our Bassa workshops in Douala. This will strengthen our positioning as a reference hub for railway maintenance,” the company said in a statement.
A maintenance center aiming to capture the African market
Camrail aims to compete in the African railway maintenance market by strengthening its technical capacity. To achieve this ambition, the company created in Douala a railway maintenance center designed to serve other African rail networks.
Built on more than 35 hectares, the center includes about ten workshops and employs 343 workers—welders, maintenance technicians, boilermakers, mechanics, electricians, electronics technicians and pneumatic specialists. The facility is also equipped with simulators to ensure that overhauled engines operate under the same conditions as locomotives or wagons on the rails.
“Most African rail networks lack maintenance centers and rely on manufacturers to overhaul their equipment. Camrail uses its center to make its expertise available to these networks, allowing them to reduce their repair costs,” said Ndzana Jean Ottou on January 16, 2025, in Douala. Camrail’s motor equipment and depot coordinator spoke during a media tour of the company’s central workshops.
BRM
