Modern Railway Services in Africa : Building Traffic - Building Value
The role of rail in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) changed considerably in the latter years of the twentieth century. Although some upgrading has occurred, most SSA networks outside South Africa are still operating to the standards to which they were ori...
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2020
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/104881601018924681/Modern-Railway-Services-in-Africa-Building-Traffic-Building-Value http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34576 |
| Summary: | The role of rail in Sub-Saharan Africa
(SSA) changed considerably in the latter years of the
twentieth century. Although some upgrading has occurred,
most SSA networks outside South Africa are still operating
to the standards to which they were originally constructed.
To encourage the commercialization of the railways and
reduce the burden on government finances, several countries
concessioned their rail system from the 1990’s on. However,
rail infrastructure improvements which encourage modal shift
generate benefits from lower road congestion and maintenance
costs, fewer road accidents, less pollution, and reduced
greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, many governments
in Africa have therefore taken a renewed interest in
rehabilitating and upgrading their railways, or in
constructing new ones. They desire to improve their
logistics efficiency and promote a green mode of transport
that is less carbon intensive than road. The railways in
Africa can be divided into four broad groups: mineral
railways; new railways; legacy railways; and commuter
railways. This note reviews the current situation and
discusses the challenges and possible approaches to address them. |
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