Benguela Railway to transport 1.2 mln passengers by end of 2018

The China-aided Benguela Railway in western Africa’s Angola is expected to transport 1.2 million passengers and shipments of 500,000 tons by the end of 2018.

The longest and fastest railway in Angola transported 580,000 passengers and 210,000 tons over the first half of 2018, seeing a dramatic growth since 2011.

The railway, linking the Atlantic port of Lobito on the west to the eastern border town Luau, was completed by the China Railway Construction Corp in under ten years.

A large number of local jobs were created and technical personnel were trained in Angola during the construction.

Angola is an emerging economy in Africa owing to its rich oil revenues, but its economic development has long been limited by backward infrastructure. But now, the Belt and Road Initiative brings updated infrastructure as well as convenience for those living in Angola.