• DRC to tender Tenke-Kolwezi-Dilolo rail rehabilitation in April 2026
• Project costs estimated at $400-410 million
• World Bank confirms $500 million financing support

DRC Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba said the government will launch an international tender in April 2026 to rehabilitate the Tenke-Kolwezi-Dilolo railway section, with construction scheduled to begin in the final quarter of 2026.

He made the announcement at the first coordination meeting on the Lobito Corridor, held on Feb. 5, 2025, in Luanda, Angola.

Feasibility studies presented in September by experts from the European Union and the United States estimate that rehabilitating the Dilolo-Kolwezi-Tenke railway line, which forms the Congolese segment of the corridor, will require $400 million to $410 million in investment. Maintenance costs are projected at $180 million over 10 years.

The government has not yet detailed how it plans to carry out the project, but a public-private partnership (PPP) is under consideration. At the same meeting, officials said the Democratic Republic of Congo had implemented institutional reforms to establish a PPP framework aligned with international standards.

Officials added that the World Bank will coordinate the project’s financial and technical structuring. The DRC has appointed the World Bank as lead arranger, and the institution has confirmed $500 million in financing.

Emergency work

While the broader rehabilitation is pending, Bemba said emergency repairs are under way on nearly 80 km of critical sections to maintain rail operations.

Feasibility studies are continuing on the Tenke-Lubumbashi-Sakania section with World Bank support. Authorities have launched a call for co-financing for this segment. Studies presented in September indicate that extending the line to the Zambian border would require at least $690 million.

In a statement published on Dec. 5, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) said it had issued a letter of intent to Mota-Engil, signaling its readiness to finance the rehabilitation, operation and transfer of the Dilolo-Sakania railway line for more than $1 billion.

Mota-Engil is part of the Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium, alongside Trafigura and Vecturis, which has held a 30-year concession since July 2022 to operate and modernize the Angolan section of the corridor.

Ronsard Luabeya, with Bankable