SENEGAL: Dakar’s Train Express Régional service was extended 19 km to Blaise Diagne International Airport on September 28. The opening comes shortly before the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Minister of Land Transport & Air Transport Serigne Abdoul Ahad Ndiaye, Minister of Infrastructure Déthié Fall and Minister of Employment Idrissa Samb.
The completion of the second phase of the TER project takes the 160 km/h standard gauge route to 55 km. The double-track line is electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz and equipped with ETCS Level 2 and GSM-R.
The SETER subsidiary of France’s SNCF which operates the line said the TER has carried nearly 100 million passengers since the opening of the 36 km first phase between Dakar and Diamniadio on December 27 2021. There are up to 196 trains per day, with a punctuality rate of 98%.
The principal infrastructure contract worth CFAFr108.4bn was awarded to a consortium of Eiffage Génie Civil, Eiffage Rail, Yapi Merkezi and Senegalese contractor CSE in May 2023.
The airport station linked to the terminal by a 200 m pedestrian walkway was built by Turkey’s Summa under a separate CFAFr8bn contract.
The CFAFr76.3bn railway systems package covering signalling, ETCS, GSM-R and electrification was awarded to INEO SCLE Ferroviaire and GTS France in September 2023. Following corporate changes and the evolution of the consortium, the works were delivered by the Equans/Hitachi Rail M2 group.
In 2023 CAF was awarded a contract to supply seven additional four-car Coradia Polyvalent electro-diesel trainsets for Phase 2, increasing the fleet to 22 sets. They were built at Reichshoffen, with Alstom supplying major equipment.
The cost of Phase 2 increased substantially during implementation, reflecting additional works added to the project.
The original estimate was about CFAFr208bn. Public works agency APIX has put the cost at around CFAFr276bn, while the government described the investment at the inauguration at more than CFAFr300bn.
Financing came from several international institutions and bilateral sources. The Islamic Development Bank provided €100m initially and a further €40.25m in supplementary financing, along with CFAFr8bn for the airport station. The African Development Bank provided US$74m, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa US$50m and west African development bank BOAD CFAFr35bn. France subsequently agreed a €150m financing package for the completion of the project.
Source: rg
