According to a statement from the CFB, to which VerAngola had access, on the trip, in addition to the delegation, the consortium Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) and the CFB were also present.
"The delegation, the consortium Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) and Caminho-de-Ferro de Benguela made a trip from Lobito to Caimbambo, in a route of 118 km, whose objective was to verify the condition of the railway line, for the operationalization of the Lobito Corridor, a project that they consider structuring for the economies of the three countries that comprise it Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia", reads the note.
According to the CFB, in Lobito, visits were made to the wagon workshop, as well as the construction of "the workshop for the new Diesel Multiple Units and the command and operations center (CCO), where they seek to learn more about the functioning of the circulations, the location of locomotives along the railway line, with greater coverage on how assistance is provided in cases of accidents, especially when there is a derailment along the railway line".
At the meeting between the delegation, the consortium and the chairman of the Board of Directors of the CFB, António Cabral, it was also explained, in detail, "the various stages that were part of the process of rehabilitation and modernization of the" CFB, "since the previous times up to the present", with emphasis on the ongoing concession procedure.
It should be noted that the consortium is made up of three companies: Trafigura, Vecturis and Mota-Engil. These companies initialed, on 4 November last year, the concession contract for the Lobito Corridor.
"Over the next 30 years, this consortium will take over the operation, exploration and maintenance of rail freight transport, as well as the maintenance of all existing infrastructure along the corridor", the statement also states.
