Millions of dollars will be spent on rehabilitating lines and importing new rolling stock.

THE state-run railway network, one of the longest and once one of the best in Africa, is sadly run down as a result of the civil war, sanctions, and lack of investment.

Its planned rehabilitation and modernization will make a vital contribution to Sudan’s economic development and, in particular, to the reconstruction of the war-affected south. Millions of dollars are being spent on rehabilitating lines and importing additional rolling stock.

The railway extends for more than 3,000 miles, most of it in the northern and central parts of the country. The main route runs from Port Sudan to Khartoum, via Atbara. Almost three-quarters of the total cargo shipped around the country is carried on the 500-mile line, and moves are afoot to upgrade it, and to build a new line running parallel to it.

The building of a second line would enable Sudan to increase its annual haulage capacity from around 2.2 million tons to five million tons.

“We have been having discussions with an Indian company and they have made some studies to build a new parallel line with international specifications,” says Abdul El Haleem Ahmaidi Taha, General Manager of Sudan Railways Corporation (SRC).

ABDUL EL HALEEM AHMAIDI TAHA General Manager of Sudan Railways Corporation

In addition to a budget of around $32 million from the government, Sudan is eager to attract private sector involvement for the operation of both cargo and passenger routes. “We have five private companies operating parts of our service,” says Mr. Taha.

Contracts have been signed with companies and donors in India, China, Egypt, Indonesia, and South Africa. In December 2005, for example, South Africa’s Global railways signed a $21 million deal for rehabilitation operations.

Around 40 percent of the total network is currently out of service, including the only line in the south, from Babanusa to Wau. The only passenger services operating are from Khartoum to Wadi Halfa and Port Sudan.

Restoring and developing the service in the south is seen as a top priority. There are plans to extend the line to Juba, and eventually to the landlocked countries of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

”We plan to connect all the state capitals in the south, in the north, and in the west. Then we aim to link up with the neighboring countries,” says Mr. Taha.
Apart from the destruction of infrastructure, the SRC has been affected by the civil war in other ways. A large percentage of its fleet originates from the United States and, as a result of sanctions, about 75 percent is out of service due to the shortage of spare parts.

The lifting of the U.S sanctions would make a huge difference, says Mr. Taha. “We are waiting for the raising of the embargo, because the railway will benefit very much from that. We would be able to service our fleets, and have access to the spare parts that we require. It would change the face of the railway.”