Africa: Making the vision of a continental railway come true
CPCS delivers a master plan and a detailed scoping study for accelerated pilot projects in view of a continental railway in Africa.
The challenge
Africa dreams of a continental railway network that connects its people with national and commercial capitals.
The idea is now codified in the African Union Continental Agenda 2063 — an ambitious framework to achieve continent-wide socioeconomic transformation within 50 years. The groups responsible for this project are the African Union Commission and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD).
Given our experience in the African rail sector, AUDA-NEPAD chose CPCS to develop a master plan for the African Integrated High Speed Railway Network (AIHSRN) and to conduct detailed scoping for selected pilot projects for accelerated implementation.
What we’re doing
The detailed scoping study for the AIHSRN includes:
- A network master plans for 2033 and 2043
- Technical standards for the continental railway network that enables interoperability
- Legal and institutional best practices for operating the AIHSRN
- Financing options
- Scoping of two accelerated pilot projects
- A roadmap to implement the AIHSRN
Impact
The AIHSRN study creates a framework for African countries to integrate their respective railway plans. The study introduces standards to ensure that new railways will be interoperable across national and regional borders.
