The segregation project for the Luanda Railway (CFL) along the Bungo–António Agostinho Neto International Airport (AIAAN) corridor has reached 87.4% physical completion, according to a press statement released by the railway operator.
Despite the progress, significant challenges persist, including delays in clearing land for new pedestrian crossings as well as recurring acts of vandalism and theft of materials along the rail corridor.
In the first quarter of this year alone, the CFL recorded losses attributable to vandalism amounting to 13 trillion kwanzas, underscoring the scale of the security problem threatening the project’s timeline and operational readiness.
On Friday, a site inspection of the Bungo–Airport section — carried out by government officials and senior executives — concluded a round of consultations aimed at combating vandalism and reaffirmed a collective commitment to restoring full operational capacity to the capital’s rail transport network.
The visit followed recommendations from a recent high-level meeting between central bodies of the Ministries of Transport and of Defence and Security, the CFL, and the construction companies involved in building the railway infrastructure. The purpose was to assess conditions on the ground as reported by both the CFL and the project coordination team.
The working delegation was led by the Secretary of State for Land Transport, Jorge Bengue, and co-chaired by his counterpart for the Protection of Strategic Assets, General Marques Correia ‘Banza’, alongside Luanda’s Deputy Governor for Technical Services and Infrastructure, Calunga Quissanga, CFL management, and senior representatives of the Armed Forces and the National Police.
The delegation began its tour at the new Bungo multimodal station, where, following a briefing, officials visited areas designated for commercial activity, train traffic control and command operations, and operational security.
The team then boarded a DMU (diesel multiple unit) train to the airport, stopping at several locations identified as the most problematic in terms of vandalism incidence. At these stops, officials engaged directly with personnel responsible for protecting the railway perimeter in order to gain a clearer understanding of the problem.
At the AIAAN rail terminal, the group conducted a final review of findings and each entity in the operational chain reaffirmed its specific responsibilities, with the aim of improving the conditions observed during the inspection.
Source: ANGOP
