About the project
History of the railway line
Spanning from the heart of Africa to the Atlantic coast, the Benguela Railway has been a lifeline for trade and growth since 1902. The line was revitalised in 2015 when China Railway 20 Bureau (CR20) invested resources to rebuild and modernise the route and has been operational since.
In 2022, the Angolan Ministry of Transport awarded the concession to Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), a consortium of European-based companies. By 2024, LAR officially took over the operations and maintenance of the Lobito corridor railway from Caminhos de Ferro de Benguela (CFB). This handover included the rehabilitation and improvement of existing infrastructure and rolling stock, with the aim of enhancing transport efficiency while CFB continued to manage passenger services.
Products transported
The Lobito Atlantic Railway supports mining companies, freight operators and regional traders by transporting copper, cobalt, sulphur, reagents, fuel, agricultural, industrial and commercial products to and from Angola and the DRC. All bulk and container shipments are handled through two state-of-the-art terminals at the Port of Lobito.
LAR also offers competitive round-trip rates for customers managing both imports and exports, helping to streamline operations and reduce supply chain costs.
Copper
The metal of electrification and crucial to the energy transition
Cobalt
A material used to stabilise and boost the range of lithium-ion batteries
Sulphur
A chemical used in the extraction of copper and cobalt
Other products
Transporting agricultural, industrial and commercial products
Milestones so far
November 2022
LAR wins the concession through a transparent, international auction.
