Luena, Angola, 24 Sept – Railway transport will be re-launched on the stretch of track between the Angolan cities of Lobito (Benguela province) and Luau (Moxico province), 20 years after it was last in operation, said Liu Feng, director of the Chinese company responsible for the work in Luena Tuesday.

Feng, chief engineer of China Ferrovia, told Angolan news agency Angop that the project, which is due to begin this year, represents an investment of US$1.8 billion and would be carried out by 3,000 Angolan and 1,500 Chinese workers.

He also said that in the first three months the work would consist of removing the old tracks and setting up a sleeper and gravel factory in the Liangongo area (over 70 kilometres east of Luena, the capital of the province).

“Reconstruction work on this stretch of the Benguela railroad (CFB) include preparation of the base on which the track will be laid, repositioning sleepers and tracks to international sizes and construction of bridges where necessary.”

Reconstruction of the CFB, according to some local economic agents, will drive development of the central and eastern regions of the country, as well as strengthening regional integration within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as the railroad passes through three countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe) in the region. (macauhub)