Gabon mobilizes 133 billion FCFA for Transgabonais railway renovation

This combined funding, totaling nearly 133 billion FCFA, will be used to revitalize the Transgabonais railway, a critical logistical backbone for the country. This represents the largest investment in Gabon's railway since its inception. The 670-kilometer Transgabonais railway connects Owendo, Libreville's main port, to Franceville in the southeast.

Completed in 1986, it is essential for transporting manganese from Moanda, operated by Compagnie minière de l’Ogooué Comilog, a subsidiary of the Eramet group. It also handles significant traffic of timber, petroleum products, various goods, and passenger transport. The railway's gradual deterioration, exacerbated by landslides and heavy rainfall, has weakened the national logistics chain for several years.

The economic stakes extend beyond mining logistics, as manganese is a primary source of foreign exchange for Gabon. Any slowdown in rail traffic directly impacts export revenues. The infrastructure's renovation is also crucial for the industrial diversification sought by the transitional authorities, who aim to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons.

Several investment projects in local timber and mineral processing rely on the Transgabonais's reliability. The financing structu