Lobito, Angola, April 28, 2026 (Lusa) – Angola’s Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), the concessionaire for the Lobito Corridor (a key rail link for African mineral exports), continues to transport goods using lorries between points where floods in Benguela halted rail traffic.
LAR said in a statement it "activated a multimodal contingency operation at the Dango Multimodal Platform [PMD] (a hub for moving cargo between road and rail), ensuring a road-rail solution".
This connects the Port of Lobito to Dango, the last operational station before Huambo, and then continues by rail to Luau and Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Floods on 12 April damaged several sections of the Benguela Railway after a dyke on the River Cavaco breached.
The disaster forced the suspension of rail traffic between Negrao and Cubal, displaced thousands of families, and left at least 19 dead and 31 missing.
To guarantee cargo movements in the corridor, LAR decided to use lorries while rehabilitation work continues on the affected sections.
International traffic beyond Huambo remains uninterrupted, LAR added.
"In recent days, we demonstrated an exceptional level of resilience and execution capacity. In less than two weeks, we re-established operations and resumed regular service conditions, a response that makes this corridor stand out," LAR CEO Nicholas Fournier said.
The first rail operation at Dango — a train from SONAGAS an oil and gas logistics subsidiary of state company Sonangol — took place on 20 April, while the first shipment of copper and sulphur from Lobito followed on 24 April.
LAR added that it was working in close coordination with the authorities to promote awareness among communities along the line of new road safety measures resulting from increased truck traffic and to provide support to families displaced by floods.
Lobito Atlantic Railway, formed by Trafigura, Mota-Engil and Vecturis, holds a 30-year concession.
It is responsible for the modernisation, maintenance and operation of the 1,300-kilometre railway line linking the port of Lobito to Luau, on the DRC border.
RCR/LYT // ADB.
Lusa
