POINTE NOIRE–BRAZZAVILLE RAIL LINE

FS Engineering for the development of the country’s railway network and transport systems.

In 2006, FS Engineering signed a series of commercial agreements with the Republic of the Congo for the design and supervision of projects for upgrading the infrastructure and technology of the Pointe Noire–Brazzaville railway line, the country’s main transport corridor and a strategic link between the port of Pointe-Noire and the capital, Brazzaville.

The project involved improving the performance and reliability of the existing railway line, which is vital for passenger and freight transport and for supporting national economic development.

FS Engineering was also involved in overseeing the reconstruction project for the Kintelé district, including the construction of the new business district of Brazzaville and design of a metro line connecting the new district to the city centre. This also required training local staff, supplying diagnostic equipment, and refurbishing the main railway line, to strengthen the technical and operational capabilities of the national railway system.

At the same time, contracts were signed for upgrading the the facilities and logistics infrastructure at the Port of Pointe-Noire, comprising the extension of the railway to include the port area and the overall project supervision, with a view to improving connections between the port and the hinterland.

FS Engineering was also appointed by ICE – the Italian Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalisation of enterprises – within the framework of the Italy-Congo railway cooperation programme, to update the country’s transport infrastructure Master Plan, dating back to 2004. This included identifying the main infrastructure bottlenecks, analysing the geographical and socio-demographic context, carrying out a technical and economic assessment of measures to improve existing networks, analysing the financial and social cost-benefit ratios, and identifying priority measures for all modes of transport.

The overall activities covered by the contracts were completed in 2018, consolidating the company’s role as a key partner for the integrated development of transport infrastructure in the Republic of the Congo.