• DRC to resume Kinshasa–Matadi rail service after five-year halt
• New rail link aims to ease congestion, boost trade via Matadi port
• Urban rail upgrades, Banana corridor study, Arise IIP project stalled

Rail service between Kinshasa and the port city of Matadi in the Democratic Republic of Congo will resume next week after a five-year hiatus, Minister of Transport Jean-Pierre Bemba announced on Friday, September 5, 2025. The announcement was made at a ceremony attended by President Félix Tshisekedi.

The revived service, which will include several weekly rotations, is expected to ease congestion on the strategic Kinshasa-Kongo Central route and reduce pressure on National Road No. 1. It will also facilitate the transport of four million tonnes of goods that pass through the port of Matadi each year, boosting both domestic and international trade.

The government has a broader vision for its rail network. A feasibility study is underway for a 150 km rail line connecting the deep-water port of Banana to the Matadi-Kinshasa line via Boma. This project would create a continuous Banana-Boma-Matadi-Kinshasa rail corridor, opening new routes for goods to and from the country's main ports.

Urban Rail to Relaunch

Bemba also announced the upcoming resumption of urban rail service on the Central Station-N'Djili International Airport line, which is currently being developed. The route is expected to allow travelers to reach the airport in under 30 minutes, alleviating traffic in the capital. The Central Station-Kitambo Magasin line is also slated for a relaunch.

The Kinshasa-Kasangulu line is already operational, with two daily rotations to meet growing demand. The Kinshasa-Matadi line's relaunch coincides with the commissioning of seven new railcars acquired by the ONATRA national transport company in 2023. These include four modern railcars, two intermediate units, and one air-conditioned VIP unit. They will join an existing fleet of five locomotives, 77 freight cars, 27 passenger cars, and 42 container wagons. The minister added that five new locomotives and 40 additional container wagons, funded by the Land Logistics Fee (RLT), are also expected soon. The RLT is a mechanism designed to support the revival of the National Railway Company of Congo (SNCC).

Arise IIP Project in Limbo

The resumption of service follows stabilization work on the Kinshasa-Matadi rail line. The cost and funding mechanism for the work were not specified.

In February 2024, the government approved a public-private partnership with the Indian group Arise IIP to rehabilitate and operate the line. The project, valued at $956 million over three phases, called for the creation of a project company owned 40% by ONATRA and 60% by Arise IIP. However, no information on the project's progress has been released since the initial announcement, Bankable reports.