• Authorities have completed about 90% of rehabilitation works on the Dakar–Tambacounda railway line.
• The government aims to shift freight traffic from road to rail to ease congestion and strengthen the Port of Dakar’s logistics role.
• Senegal plans broader rail modernization under its Vision 2050 strategy, although financing constraints persist amid high debt levels.

Senegal has completed nearly 90% of the rehabilitation works on the Dakar–Tambacounda railway line, Transport Minister Yankhoba Diémé said over the weekend as he outlined the government’s rail transport strategy.

The government has positioned the revival of the eastern rail corridor at the center of its freight reconquest strategy. Authorities seek to reduce chronic road congestion and enhance the logistical attractiveness of the Port of Dakar. Officials expect this investment to strengthen Senegal’s role in sub-regional trade, particularly with landlocked countries.

The minister said the completion of the works will accelerate modal shift by reducing truck flows transiting toward Tambacounda in eastern Senegal. He said the measure will preserve road infrastructure durability. The Dakar–Tambacounda line serves as a strategic corridor for freight flows to and from Mali, a landlocked country that relies on Dakar as a key international logistics gateway.

The line remained inoperative for several years because authorities lacked investment. Transport operators therefore concentrated most shipments on the road network.

A Broader Rail Recovery Plan

The government has incorporated the railway overhaul into its Vision 2050 roadmap. Authorities aim to revive a rail transport system that collapsed because of infrastructure delays. The minister said Senegal operated 1,034 kilometers of functional railway tracks at independence in 1960. He said the country now operates only 114 kilometers, mainly used by Industries chimiques du Sénégal (ICS) and Grande Côte Opérations (GCO) on the Dakar–Mboro axis.

In addition to the ongoing extension of the Train Express Régional (TER) in Dakar and the rehabilitation of the Dakar–Tambacounda line, the government plans to modernize several other meter-gauge lines. Authorities also intend to mobilize financing to convert selected strategic segments to standard gauge (SGR).

However, the implementation of this comprehensive plan could face financing constraints. Senegal must navigate these challenges in a context of elevated public debt.

This article was initially published in French by Henoc Dossa

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum