In Angola 2007/2008 - (Page 27) FRASTRUCTURE Benguela Railway Opens Doors to SADC The reconstruction of Angola’s trans-Africa Benguela Railway is a major factor in advancing the economy of Angola. Inaugurated in 1929, the railway extended access to the central areas of the country and enabled Angolans to construct new cities in areas that were once vacant and out of reach, including Ganda, Cubal, Cuma, Longonjo, and Bela Vista (now Katchiungo). The rail was also an important trading link for Angola’s natural commodities of maize, wheat, cotton, coffee, sugar and cattle, and opened up an essential copper trade route for landlocked Zambia, via Lubumbashi, in southern Congo. At one time, the railway ran from the Angolan coastal port in Lobito to Luau on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and continued on to Zambia. From coast to border, the track stretched 1,344 kilometers. Today, the Benguela Railway is once again set to become a pivotal element of Angola’s redevelopment. During the war years, this trading link was severed in countless places, with deliberate mining and wanton destruction rendering it unusable. Since the declaration of peace in 2002, however, the government has made serious efforts to revitalize the railway and has committed over USD 4 billion to the National Railway Plan. As part of the plan, the government is funding the reconstruction and extension of the Benguela line, which will be complete by 2012. Eight locomotives, forty carriages and five hundred wagons have been purchased and are due to arrive in several stages. Currently, the rail line is open and running along two lengths. One line runs from the port of Lobito to Benguela on the Atlantic coast, and the other runs from Huambo to Caala in the central planalto region. Numerous tracks and stations are still in need of investment. As the only railway connection from Central Africa to the Atlantic, the Benguela Railway is a strategic asset to Angola. It provides a vital trade route from land-locked SADC countries, like Zambia, and increases the opportunity for trade in Angola. In 2005, Angola and Zambia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the re-linking of their rail systems, thus providing a framework within which the rail project will be undertaken. The agreement will open up the route and further connect Angola for trade and passenger transportation within most countries of Southern Africa. The restoration of the Benguela Railway will open the doors of opportunity throughout the region. The rail will serve as an export channel for goods from Angola's interior regions, offer a channel for mining exports to reach the Atlantic Ocean, provide a means of distributing goods from coastal cities and ports to interior cities, and serve to transport passengers throughout the country. As private investment grows, businesses expand, and more and more Angolans move back to smaller cities and away from the large metropolitan areas, the extended reach that the railway offers will prove beneficial to many. 27
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