African Railway Development and Intermodal Solutions: AUC's Eng. Eric Ntagengerwa on Boosting Rail Traffic and Continental Connectivity
During the panel discussion, African Railway Development and Intermodal Solutions – Outlook for African Railways with Modal Shift from Roads to Rail at the AfDB Transport Forum 2024, Eng. Eric Ntagengerwa, Head of the Transport and Mobility Division at the African Union Commission (AUC), discussed the key factors for successfully migrating freight from road to rail across the continent. He emphasised the importance of creating demand for rail transport, establishing regulatory standards, and developing an integrated railway master plan for Africa.
Driving Demand for Rail Traffic
Eng. Ntagengerwa highlighted that, before shifting traffic from road to rail, there is a need to create a greater demand for railway services across Africa. He identified two main factors for increasing this demand:
- African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): By boosting intra-Africa trade and industrialisation, traffic among major economic hubs in Africa can increase. Eng. Ntagengerwa stressed the need to facilitate the movement of industrial goods from east to west, north to south, thereby creating substantial freight and passenger traffic. This, in turn, will put pressure on road transport and highlight the need for a more efficient railway network for long-distance freight movement.
- Mineral Production and Manufacturing: He noted that railway systems become economically viable when they are used to transport minerals and manufactured goods. Increasing Africa’s mineral production and manufacturing capacity will create an increased demand for rail transport, driving the shift from road to rail.
Promoting Rail as a Safer, More Convenient Mode of Transport
Eng. Ntagengerwa pointed out that, as Africa’s metropolitan areas continue to grow, the continent will eventually need to rely less on road transport. “Railway transport is coming to support the public transport, the mobility within the cities,” he stated. However, governments need to actively promote railways as a safer and environmentally friendly option for mass transit within urban areas.
This involves sensitising the public about the benefits of rail transport and preparing the continent to adopt railway systems as a crucial component of urban mobility. He called for governments to spearhead this awareness to ensure public transport meets the demands of growing African cities in the coming decades.
Harmonising Regulations and Developing a Continental Master Plan
Dr. Lubinda Sakanga’s earlier point about increasing the market share of railways resonated with Eng. Ntagengerwa. He highlighted that to achieve this, there is a need to harmonise railway regulations across the continent. “This needs to be complemented by regulations, harmonisation of regulations,” he noted, underscoring the importance of dispute settlement mechanisms, standard safety protocols and business models that align with national regulations.
Regarding the development of a unified approach, Eng. Ntagengerwa confirmed that Africa is working towards a single continental railway master plan. The African Continental Railway Master Plan was developed in two phases, with the first phase involving 13 pilot projects to be implemented by 2033. He also mentioned that eight of these projects have already progressed from feasibility studies to construction and operational phases.
By 2063, the plan includes an additional 59 links, bringing the total to 57,000 kilometres of railway network. To support this massive endeavour, the AUC recently developed a railway sourcebook in collaboration with ALG and GIZ. This sourcebook will aid in the design, planning and construction of railway projects under the African Integrated Railway Network initiative.
Interoperability and Upgrading Existing Railways
Eng. Ntagengerwa stressed the critical need for interoperability among Africa’s railway networks. With over 60,000 kilometres of railway built during the colonial era, much of the existing infrastructure is still operational. However, with new environmentally friendly and electric standard gauge railways being introduced, he emphasised the necessity to integrate these modern systems with older ones, such as Cape gauge and metre gauge lines.
The AUC has developed standards for interoperability to ensure seamless railway connectivity across the continent. “These ones need to be interoperable to the Cape gauge, metre gauges, which were constructed before,” he remarked, indicating that implementation of these standards is ongoing in partnership with regional railway associations like SARA.
Railway Sector Reform Strategy
Eng. Ntagengerwa pointed out that one of the significant gaps in the current railway sector is the lack of harmonised regulations, especially concerning railway safety and concession agreements. He stressed that each railway agency currently operates in isolation, leading to inconsistent regulations. To address this, he called for a continental approach to harmonise safety regulations, concession agreements, and dispute settlement mechanisms to ensure a seamless and equitable railway network.
The Future of Africa’s Railways by 2063
Eng. Ntagengerwa concluded by reaffirming the commitment of various stakeholders to the African Integrated Railway Network project. He emphasised that the continent’s goal of building an additional 75,000 kilometres of railway by 2063 is achievable through collaboration among countries, regional corridors, and international partners.
“The bank is already committed, as you saw, the initiative presented by ALG. The AUC is committed to do this. The countries and also the regional corridors are committed,” he stated. With the support of these committed partners, Eng. Ntagengerwa is optimistic that Africa can develop a railway network that will become the continent’s leading mode of transport.
