In Gabon, Setrag, a subsidiary of Comilog, manages the country’s only railway network on behalf of the authorities, crossing the territory from east to west. As the backbone of national economic development, the Transgabonais serves 24 stations, transporting passengers, goods, timber, and minerals, including concentrated ore and metallurgical products from Comilog.
To ensure safe transportation, Setrag has been implementing a vast railway renovation plan for nearly 10 years, under the impetus of the Gabonese state, the owner of the railway infrastructure.
An ambition recognized and supported from Europe: the French Development Agency (AFD) recently contributed €173 million to the program, while the European Union provided a €30 million grant as part of its Global Gateway strategy.
This budget will enable the implementation of the Railway Modernization and Security Program (PMS) between 2025 and 2028, with the Gabonese state’s goal of transporting 21 million tons of freight per year by 2029, compared to about 9 million currently, and increasing the number of passengers on the single line, safely.
The PMS works include the replacement of 270 km of rails; the completion of the replacement of wooden sleepers with concrete sleepers; the construction of 40 km of diversion tracks to secure unstable areas; the installation of safety devices such as level crossings, fences, footbridges, and light signals; the acquisition of new passenger trains and the renovation of the Owendo and Franceville stations.
