(EcoFinances) – Camrail (Cameroon Railways), the subsidiary of Africa Global Logistics (AGL), has invested more than CFAF 700 billion in modernising its infrastructure since the concession agreement was signed in 1999, according to the company, which received a large delegation of Cameroonian parliamentarians in Douala from 16 to 19 August 2023 as part of an exchange and information visit.
« With more than 700 billion CFA francs injected into the modernisation of infrastructure since the concession agreement was signed in 1999, Camrail has made the modernisation of Cameroon’s rail network a priority », says the concession holder for Cameroon’s railways.
550 km of track have been renovated
Speaking to parliamentarians, the company’s top management explained that more than 550 km of track had been renovated, including 175 km that had been completely renewed over the last two decades. « Thanks to its shareholding, the company has been able to set up modern facilities for motive and towed equipment at its central workshops in Bassa-Douala, incorporating cutting-edge technologies, » it added.
Despite the ups and downs, the importance of the passenger business has been preserved, with 08 trains a day carrying an average of 800,000 passengers a year. The following measures have also been implemented: the refurbishment of passenger rolling stock, the renovation of stations, the digitisation of passenger services and the improvement of passenger reception and transport conditions.
Impressed by the efforts made by Camrail over the past two decades, the Members of Parliament congratulated the company’s top management and encouraged it to continue in the same vein. « The Committee wished to be informed of CamrailL’s strengths and challenges, in order to ensure that the partnership with the State of Cameroon remains fruitful in the context of the new law governing the rail sector, » said the Honourable Guillaume Mbakam Chouga, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Production and Trade Committee.
Camrail: an exemplary partner of the State of Cameroon
Pascal Miny, Managing Director of Camrail, was delighted to welcome the Cameroonian parliamentarians to Camrail’s premises. « The visit of the Production and Exchanges Committee to the National Assembly confirms, on the one hand, the interest that this institution takes in Camrail and, on the other, the key role that the rail sector plays in Cameroon’s socio-economic development, » he said. He added that, thanks to its dynamic human resources policy, which attracts a wealth of talent every year, and its rail proximity policy, 400 million CFA francs are invested annually in the communities bordering the railway. This makes Camrail « an exemplary partner of the State of Cameroon ».
During its four-day visit to Camrail, the delegation from the Production and Trade Committee of Cameroon’s National Assembly first held a working session with Pascal Miny, Managing Dirtector of Camrail, before making a field visit to the company. The visit began in the central workshops at Bassa, the heart of the rail business, and continued with a trip on board and an inspection of the railway works between Douala and Edéa, then between Yaoundé and Mbandjock.
An average annual investment of FCFA 12 billion
As one of the major players in Cameroon’s economic and social development, the AGL subsidiary invests an average of FCFA 12 billion per year. The company also pays an average of FCFA 10 billion each year to the State of Cameroon in royalties, taxes and duties. With 1,500 direct employees and 4,000 subcontractors, Camrail ensures it is committed to developing a proactive policy for its human resources and its ecosystem.
