ANGOLA: South African company Galison Manufacturing has begun the production of 275 container wagons which railway concessionaire Lobito Atlantic Railway has ordered for delivery in three tranches from Q4 this year.
The wagons are being made from high-strength steel to provided durability and a low weight which will enable higher loads to be carried in 10, 20 and 40 ft containers. Manufacturing is making extensive use of modern fabrication methods including computerised beam saws and robotic welding cells.
The wagons will be used to transport freight from Lobito to DR Congo and cobalt and copper from DR Congo and Zambia.
‘The new wagons are compatible with the existing rolling stock in the Southern African Development Community region’, said LAR CEO Francisco Franca on June 19. ‘They were designed considering local conditions on the railway to ensure the smooth transport critical minerals and other materials for both domestic and international traffic.’
