By Angela Moonga
Angola launches 260 km Benguela Railway extension linking Luena to Saurimo.
Angola aims to position itself as a logistics hub for neighbouring economies, including landlocked countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, while supporting broader efforts to diversify an economy still heavily dependent on oil revenues.
The Lobito Corridor project is advancing in 2026 as a major US/EU-backed initiative to connect Zambia, DRC, and Angola, with the EU recently pledging $130 million for the Mwinilunga–Jimbe road in Zambia and over $2 billion in total mobilisation. It aims to create a faster, cheaper, and more sustainable route for transporting critical minerals like copper to the Atlantic port of Lobito.
According to media reports in Angola, the $1.16 billion Benguela Railway project has been awarded to Odebrecht under national transport plans Link to Lobito Corridor to boost regional trade, logistics ambitions.
The Angolan Ministry of Transport on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2025, launched construction of a new Benguela Railway (CFB) branch line linking Luena, in Moxico province, to Saurimo, in Lunda-Sul, over about 260 km.
Officials say the extension will improve connectivity in Angola’s under-served eastern region, boosting domestic and cross-border trade and increasing freight flows.
The $1.16 billion project has been awarded to Brazil’s Odebrecht and is part of the National Master Plan for the Transport and Road Infrastructure Sector (PDNSTIR) and the National Railway Network Extension Plan, which set investment priorities to modernise the rail system and meet rising demand for passenger and goods transport.
The new section will connect to the Lobito Corridor, a strategic regional logistics route in Southern Africa supported by partners including the United States and the European Union. By easing access between inland areas and export routes, the corridor is expected to strengthen regional competitiveness and attract investment.
A 30-year concession was secured in 2023 by the Lobito Atlantic Railway (Trafigura, Moto-Engil, Vecturis SA) to operate and upgrade the line Lobito line linking Zambia, DRC and Angola.
The project is designed to reduce reliance on older, more congested routes (like the Tazara railway) and facilitate faster exports of critical raw materials.
Partnership: The initiative is a cornerstone of the Western-backed “Global Gateway” and “Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment” (PGI) programs to compete with other international, particularly Chinese, investments in the region.
Potential Challenges and Considerations:
Competition and Logistics: The corridor faces competition from existing routes and questions about its long-term commercial viability.
But concerns exist regarding whether the project will foster broad-based economic growth or primarily serve to export raw materials to western countries without any beneficiation accruing towards the three countries.
The concerns are being raised against arguments that the project aims to improve regional connectivity and boost economic growth, with a strong focus on sustainability and community benefits.
