António Manuel Cabral, Chairman of Benguela Railway: «Benguela Railway is of paramount strategic importance to Angola today […]»

Railways are unequivocally the backbone of territorial and continental integration, playing a pivotal role in the strategy for reconstruction and sustainable growth. It is against this backdrop that António Manuel Cabral, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Caminho de Ferro de Benguela (Benguela Railway), shares his vision, the challenges faced, and the decisive role this infrastructure plays in the present and future of Angola.

What is the strategic importance of Benguela Railway today for the people and for Angola’s economic development?
Caminho de Ferro de Benguela-EP (CFB-EP) is of paramount strategic importance to Angola today, as much from a social as from an economic perspective. For the people, CFB-EP represents mobility, inclusion and closer ties between communities. In many parts of the region, the railway remains an essential means of transport, making it easier for people to get to urban centres, markets, healthcare services, education and employment opportunities. From an economic perspective, CFB-EP is a structure-building infrastructure because it is currently helping to reduce logistics costs for small farmers and entrepreneurs, improving the movement of goods and boosting the competitiveness of the places served by the line. In broader terms, Caminho de Ferro de Benguela-EP is not just a railway line; it is an instrument of territorial cohesion, economic stimulation and national development.

Throughout its history, what role has Benguela Railway played in connecting the interior of the country with the coast?
Historically, CFB-EP has always played a pivotal role in connecting the coast with the interior of Angola. Ever since its inception, this infrastructure was designed to serve as a hub for the movement of people, goods and opportunities, connecting the Port of Lobito to the inland provinces and, by extension, to the broader region of Southern and Central Africa. This function has always been strategic because it made it possible to bring production areas closer to centres of consumption and export, creating the conditions for economic growth in the regions through which the line passes. At the same time, the railway has helped to reduce distances, integrate territories and strengthen the country’s economic unity. Today, following its renovation and modernisation, it can once again fully assume this role as a bridge between the productive interior and the logistics and ports of the coast.

What are the main advances that have been made in recent years in passenger and freight transport?
In recent years, CFB-EP has seen significant improvements in both passenger and freight transport. In the passenger transport segment, we have been working to ensure greater service regularity, safety, comfort and a closer relationship with the public, with a direct impact on the daily mobility of communities and the strength of the railway’s social role. In freight transport, we have seen significant improvements, with increased operational capacity, a gradual recovery in logistics activity and more effective use of the railway line to support the movement of goods and small consignments. Significant progress has also been made in terms of infrastructure upgrading, operational organisation and raising the profile of CFB-EP’s role within the national logistics chain.

«In the passenger transport segment, we have been working to ensure greater service regularity, safety, comfort and a closer relationship with the public[…]»

What investments and projects are currently underway to further strengthen CFB’s capacity and efficiency?
The focus is currently on investments that will enable CFB-EP to become increasingly efficient, safe, modern and public service-oriented. Highlights include the ongoing improvement of railway infrastructure, the maintenance and restoration of rolling stock, improved operational conditions at stations and halts, and improvements to railway traffic and safety support systems. Alongside this, there is a commitment to modernising operational management, increasing the skills of human resources, and creating better conditions to raise the quality of the service provided to passengers and freight operators.

What is the strategic vision for CFB’s future in the context of the Lobito Corridor and Angola’s standing as a logistics hub?
The strategic vision for CFB-EP’s future is very clear: our goal is to become an increasingly modern, efficient and sustainable company, one that is aligned with national and regional development priorities. In terms of the Lobito Corridor, Angola is now facing a historic opportunity to establish itself as a true regional logistics hub. With the new operational configuration of the Lobito Corridor, CFB-EP is taking on a very well-defined mission: to ensure the transport of passengers and small freight with quality, safety, service regularity and a closer relationship with the local population. Our aim is for CFB-EP to continue to be a driving force for development, integration and inclusion. The Benguela Railway Company is part of Angola’s history, but, above all else, it is part of its future.

«The Benguela Railway Company is part of Angola’s history, but, above all else, it is part of its future.»

Text: Editorial Team
Photos: Rights Reserved