HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Luanda Railway (sometimes called Angola Railway) is a single-track
Cape gauge A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used th ...
railway line from the
Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
n capital of
Luanda Luanda ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Angola, largest city of Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Ang ...
to
Malanje Malanje is the capital city of Malanje Province in Angola, with a population of 455,000 (2014 census), and a municipality, with a population of 506,847 (2014 census). Projected to be the thirteenth fastest growing city on the African continent be ...
. A branch line departs the railway at Zenza do Itombe for Dondo. The line is operated by the state owned company Caminho de Ferro de Luanda E.P., short CFL EP.


History

From its terminal at the Atlantic port of Luanda, the railway heads inland towards Eastern Angola, but ends in the middle of the country at Malanje. A branch line departed the railway at Zenza do Itombe for Dondo. The coastal segment from Luanda to Lucala was built by a Portuguese company in 1889. The line was then extended to Malanje in 1909 by the Portuguese government. After independence from Portugal in 1975, the
Angolan civil war The Angolan Civil War () was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. It was a power struggle between two for ...
broke out. In 2001, the Luanda Railway was one of the only functioning railways in Angola, when it was hit by a bomb attack, killing 91 people. The prolonged fighting lasted until 2002 and destroyed most of the railway infrastructure in Angola. In 2005, a $355 million rehabilitation project was begun by the China Railway 20 Bureau Group, with funding from the China International Fund. A total of 215 km of rails were rehabilitated, and another 264 km of new rails were laid. The project included the construction of 16 stations, 16 bridges, and 200 culverts.


Resumption of services

In 2010, a passenger service resumed between Luanda and Malanje; Angola's Deputy Minister of Transport, José João Kuvingwa suggested that full operation could resume in 2011. In July 2010, a twice-weekly freight service began, between Dondo and
Luanda Luanda ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Angola, largest city of Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Ang ...
. In November 2010, CFL announced hourly passenger trains between Viana and Textang; in December 2010, container services commenced, serving a dry port near Viana, and in January 2011 the first train reached
Malanje Malanje is the capital city of Malanje Province in Angola, with a population of 455,000 (2014 census), and a municipality, with a population of 506,847 (2014 census). Projected to be the thirteenth fastest growing city on the African continent be ...
. Most of the trains run on the suburban stretch from Luanda to Viana and further to Catete. Trains on this service were carrying about 15 000 passengers per day as of 2015. Regular services between Luanda and Malanje started in January 2011. One train per day is working the line, either up, i.e. from Luanda to Malanje, or down (return). The long distance trains start and end at Viana. In mid-July 2011, the CFL announced the introduction of electronic ticketing on an experimental basis for inter-provincial journeys, beginning on 18 July.


Crashes and incidents

In 2011, 34 people died from 70 crashes and incidents on the suburban stretch between the Luanda, Viana and Icolo e Bengo municipalities, most of them in cases where drivers or pedestrians tried to cross the line at illegal crossings, said CFL marketing director Francisco Henriques to Angop. After 18 years of interruption of railway traffic, there is a whole generation who has no experience at all interacting with railways and trains. On 18 February 2012, the rail line was interrupted for at least two days when a truck crashed into a passenger train at a level crossing in the locality "Cabebeia", in município de Kambambe (provínce Kwanza Norte). The locomotive derailed completely, and two railway cars were damaged.


See also

*
Benguela railway The Benguela Railway () is a 3 ft 6 in gauge railways, Cape gauge railway line that runs through Angola from west to east, being the largest and most important railway line in the country. It also connects to Tenke, Democratic Republic of the C ...
* History of rail transport in Angola * Moçâmedes Railway *
Railway stations in Angola Railway stations in Angola include: Towns served by rail North line (Luanda Railway) (CFL) (Also known as '' Luanda Railway'') (originally 1000 mm gauge, now 1067 mm gauge) * Luanda – port – national capital; junction ** Bung ...
* Rail transport in Angola * Template:Suburban railways in Africa


References

{{Urban District of Ingombota Railway companies of Angola 3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Angola Railway lines in Angola fr:Transport ferroviaire en Angola