Jorge Bengui was speaking at the opening of the 1st Cycle of Railway Technical Conferences of the Association of Railway Technicians of Angola (ATECFA) and partners, under the motto “Rail transport and its impact on mobility, a key point in economic development”.
He added that the 1st cycle of conferences is part of the celebrations of the 134th anniversary of the beginning of railway operation in the country and that, for the realization of projects, the participation of all is important, especially the involvement of ATECFA, as well as private investors.
He also announced the rehabilitation, in this legislature, of the railway section between Zenza and Cacuso, with a length of 215 kilometers, with a view to improving the safety and operability of the Luanda Railway (CFL). “They are all challenged to improve rail transport services in the country, a non-exclusive mission of the Government”.
Jorge Bengui made it known that the creation of the National Institute for Investigation and Prevention of Transport Accidents (INIPAT), which became the entity responsible for investigating air, maritime and rail accidents in the country, brought a gain in the sector. “The Executive started the process of reviewing the legislation that supports the transport activity, in order to train human resources, with a greater focus on regulators, and I believe that, with strong regulators, we will have effective operators, to improve the quality of services provided”.
The official recalled that the mission of the transport sector is to ensure the transport of passengers and goods, in a comfortable and safe way, for the satisfaction of service users and generate revenue for companies, as well as contributing to the country’s development.
He asked those responsible for each area for more work, adding that “we cannot continue to register passenger complaints in train accidents resulting from any human error. All those involved in these and other serious situations will be held accountable”.
The Secretary of State for Land Transport requested maximum delivery and participation in all programs of the I conference cycle, taking advantage of the quality and experience of the lecturers, to adopt the best practices in the exercise of the railway activity.
For the administrator for the Technical area and acting chairman of the Board of Directors of Caminhos-de-Ferro de Luanda, Manuel João Lourenço, the conference aims to reflect on the 134 years of CFL.
Regarding train derailments, he said they were due to several factors, such as old tracks.
He explained that the section between Zenza and Ndalatando has not been rehabilitated, but has benefited from maintenance, taking into account the years of existence.
Regarding the Zenza/Cacuso line, the administrator for the area, Técnica do CFL, said that the launch of the route is scheduled for next year. He added that the theft of material, especially preaching, sleepers and carts, which are imported materials, worries the railway sector, taking into account that, every day, there are cases of vandalization of the railway line.
Association of Railway Technicians of Angola
The president of the Association of Railway Technicians of Angola (ATECFA), Mário Bernardo Cuambua, said that one of the bets is continuous training.
Since the foundation of ATECFA, he added, more than two dozen technicians have been trained, mostly from the Benguela and Moçâmedes Railways.
He recalled that reforms in the rail sector, towards sustainable development, must be inclusive. He defended the pooling of efforts and the sharing of responsibilities between the central and local government bodies of the State, public companies, the private sector, academic centers, entities and socio-professional associations.
Signed memorandum for the training of technicians
A memorandum of cooperation was signed by the president of the Association of Railway Technicians of Angola (ATECFA), Mário Bernardo Cuambua, and by the president of the Portuguese Association for the Development of Integrated Transport Systems (ADFERSIT), Tomás Leiria Pinto.
According to Tomás Leiria Pinto, the cooperation instrument aims at training Angolan staff in the railway sector, within the scope of actions developed by ATECFA. “We intend to bring together technicians, companies, universities and institutions to discuss the best ways to solve railway problems”.
The president of ADFERSIT highlighted the new investments in the Angolan railway sector, announced by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, aimed at connecting the three railway lines.
He also highlighted the dimension of the rail corridor that connects Lobito to Luau, the provinces of Benguela and Moxico, with more than 1,300 kilometers, for the socio-economic development of the region, allowing for the resumption of the flow of mining resources, the circulation of goods, especially agricultural products.
It should be noted that the country currently has three railway lines, namely the Benguela Railways (CFB), Luanda Railways (CFL) and Moçâmedes Railways (CFM).
Rail transport and its impact on mobility, CFL’s rail infrastructure on the Zenza/Cacuso section and its constraints, the importance of the signaling and communications system in commercial rail operation are some of the topics under discussion.
The country’s rail network is 2,730 kilometers long, of which 479 are from the Luanda Railways, 1,344 from the Benguela Railways, and 907 from the Moçâmedes Railways.
