The National Institute of Railways of Angola (INCFA) has received the first 15 set of 100 locomotives, which are produced by General Electric.
Benguela Railways (CFB), which operates between the port of Lobito and Luau on the country’s eastern border, was the first to receive their allotted eight locomotives, which they are planning to deploy following testing for both freight and passenger services. The CFB announced in a local newspaper that they would be increasing their train frequency from the current two trains per week to four, doubling both freight and passenger traffic on the 1,350km line.
Caminho de Ferro de Luanda (CFL), which operates between Luanda and Malanje, have been allocated two new locomotives, while Caminho de Ferro de Moçâmedes (CFM), which operates between Namibe and Menongue, will be receiving five in the coming weeks.
In March 2015, GE entered into a contract with INCFA to supply 100 GE C30ACi locomotives to boost capacity on the country’s various railway lines. The GE C30ACi locomotive is a six-axle diesel-electric locomotive with a 12-cylinder 3,000 horsepower FDL-series diesel engine that includes GE’s Ecomagination technology, designed to enhance resource productivity and reduce environmental impact. The fleet of locomotives is currently being built in Erie, Pennsylvania, and will be delivered to Angola over a three-year period.
However, once the full fleet of GE locomotives enters into commercial operation in 2018, it is hoped that improved transport infrastructure will attract investors to the country’s industry sectors as mining and energy.
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