With capacity for about 700 passengers each, the locomotives started, this Tuesday, the intercity service of passenger transport between Benguela and Lobito, according to a communiqué from the Benguela Railway (CFB).
"This Tuesday, May 16, the intercity passenger transport service between the cities of Benguela and Lobito began with some works carried out in the village of the stations, for the elevation of the fixed ramps of access for passengers to the automatic doors of these trains", informs the CFB.
Regarding the specifics of these locomotives, the CFB refers that each unit of four vehicles has the capacity to transport 696 passengers (190 seated and 506 standing). In addition, they can also reach a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, which will make it possible to reduce the journey "of just over 30 kilometers between Benguela and Lobito in about 30 minutes, costing the ticket price 150 kwanzas", adds the note.
On the occasion, António Manuel Cabral, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the CFB – speaking at the Benguela Railway Station, at the launch of the new 'Ombaka Express' service, which will be operated by the DMU's – said he believed that, "after all the technical and operational, intercity rail transport from Benguela to Lobito and vice versa" will take "a qualitative leap with the introduction of this modern equipment".
"Without hiding the emotion before several individuals present at the act, with emphasis on the president of the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), Énio Costa, António Manuel Cabral reiterated the CFB's commitment to better serve passengers who travel daily to both cities, without neglecting the intermediate points, such as the village of Catumbela", the communiqué also reads.
According to the official, the DMU's refer to "specialized equipment for the intercity rail transport of passengers which, in addition to their speed, safety and convenience, emit lower levels of noise pollution than other traditional trains" that were used on this route.
In addition, he also took the opportunity to point out that the capacity of around 700 seats "represents over 70 percent of the capacity offered by the old locomotives", which for many years served this interurban line in order to ensure the mobility of passengers, the statement also says.
