ANGOLA: Lobito Atlantic Railway has taken delivery of the first of 275 container wagons ordered from Galison Manufacturing in South Africa.
LAR said the strategic investment in new wagons is part of its three-year expansion and modernisation plan to increase volumes and capacity on the 1 344 km Lobito Railway Corridor from the deep water port of Lobito to Luau on the border with DR Congo which it manages under a 30-year concession.
The 1 067 mm gauge wagons were designed for local conditions, and production makes extensive use of modern fabrication methods including computerised beam saws and robotic welding.
They can carry one 40 ft or two 20 ft containers, and have a high strength lightweight steel structure giving a weight of 13·5 tonnes and load capacity of up to 60·5 tonnes. The wagons also feature a modern pneumatic braking system.
Weekly deliveries will continue until 2026, the LAR joint venture of Trafigura, Mota-Engil and Vecturis said on November 14 when it announced the arrival of the first batch of wagons earlier in the week.
