Members of the UIC Africa ad hoc committee met on 26-27 October for a second workshop to discuss the outcomes of the second and penultimate phase of the prospective study on the strategy for railway development in Africa. Some of the participants attended the workshop in person, while others connected remotely.
The objective of the study is to develop a roadmap for this vital sector, making the railway mode a major driver of inclusive and sustainable growth while taking into consideration the challenges associated with the major changes brought about by the pandemic.

The monitoring committee, headed by UIC Consultant Louis Napo and Said Chandid, Head of the UIC Africa regional bureau in Rabat, included experts representing various stakeholders such as the African Union of Railways, the World Bank, African railway networks and UIC experts from the Passenger and High-Speed and Operations Departments and the Covid-19 Taskforce.
The presentation of the second stage included a journey through time to the railways of tomorrow. The concept for the strategy was described and the prospective vision for the railways in Africa up to 2063 was defined and broken down into focus areas for transformation and cross-functional pillars of change. Future demand was estimated and the expected impact and objectives of the implementation of the innovative ‘Africa Rail 2063’ strategy were evaluated.