The French National Railways Corporation (SNCF) announced on October 18th it was about to “re-enter West Africa” as it expects to get two contracts in Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal.
“We currently have strong partnerships with South Africa, East African nations, Morocco, but we are setting back foot in West Africa,” SNCF’s secretary general Stephane Volant told AFP on the sidelines of the second edition of the international forum for sustainable mobility organized by SNCF.
“The big news came through President Macky Sall who said he would like to award the contract for the construction and operation of the regional express train (TER) to a French conglomerate which includes SNCF,” Volant added highlighting that “no document has actually been signed,”
TER is a 51km-long railway which should connect Dakar to its airport in December 2018. Contract for the project will be awarded in the coming years and includes “project management assistance, construction of the line, electrical equipment and signaling, rolling stock, operating contract, as well as the establishment of railway training school,” the secretary general indicated.
The second contract which SNCF hopes to win in West Africa is that for the Abidjan metro which is expected to be operational by 2020. Results for the call to tenders for the project will be disclosed soon, and SNCF’s branch for urban transport, Keolis, is among the finalists.
• Global coffee consumption projected to hit a record 169.4 million 60-kg bags in 2025/2026, up from...
• Algeria grants commercial 5G licenses to top three telecom operators: Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo...
• Kenyan President William Ruto signs strategic partnership with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to b...
• Burkina Faso-based financial group, Vista Group Holding, has acquired a majority stake in Société ...
• IFC teams up with AfDB and Nigeria’s EbonyLife to assess a new fund for African cinema• Sector cou...
• Qatar Airways and Kenya Airways establish strategic agreement, introducing a third daily flight between Doha and Nairobi. • Part of wider Qatari...
• The third Africa-Spain summit aims to strengthen trade relationships, with bilateral trade totaling approximately $35 billion in the first half of...
• World cereal production estimated to hit 2.925 billion tons in 2025/2026, marking a 2.3% increase from the previous cycle, according to the Food and...
• IMF identifies three strategic priorities to help Nigeria realize its potential as a significant economic power • Recommendations focus on achieving...
The Gerewol tradition is a fascinating ritual celebrated by the Bororo Fulani, a nomadic community primarily located in Chad and Niger. This annual...
In northern Ethiopia, in the Tigray region, lies Axum (also spelled Aksum), an ancient city that once stood at the heart of one of Africa’s most powerful...