Sudan to Rebuild Railway

Sudan is receiving assistance from China and Korea to rebuild its railway, which has suffered years of neglect and mismanagement. The country is also in negotiations to secure future funding from China, Korea and Ukraine.

Up to $500m is expected to be needed to complete plans to rehabilitate the nation’s railway network, which is currently in a parlous state, with only 60 trains left operational, restricted to a maximum speed of 40km per hour due to the condition of the tracks.

The Sudanese Railway Corporation is preparing to issue a tender for locomotives and track materials for renewal of 1000-2000km of track in the next two years. Mr McKawi Awad Mckawi, Head of Railway said the nation’s freight trains are able to meet only 10% of the country’s current transportation requirements.

The country has lost oil revenue recently, with the split from South Sudan, and is keen to boost exports of livestock, cotton and Gum Arabic, an edible material used in the manufacture of soft drinks, sweets and drugs.

Korea has recently supplied 13 locomotives, and a new Chinese sleeper factory at Khartoum is producing 1200 sleepers per day.
China and Korea are the country’s main supplier of aid.