Railways Africa » Senegal

SÉNÉGAL-MALI BIDS INVITED

Railways Africa Editor — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 06:17:05 +0000

Endeavours to concession operation of the 1,230km railway from Dakar in Sénégal to Bamako in Mali have been going on for nearly ten years. Nine expressions of interest were submitted in 1989 and 21 in 2001. Expressions of interest have been invited again by the governments of both countries. Pre-selection documentation was promised by May. The process is being managed by a steering committee including representatives from Mali’s Ministry of Public Works & Transport, Sénégal’s Ministry of Economy & Finance, the two railways and their trade unions.

It is intended that Societe Nationale Chemins de fer du Sénégal (SNCS) and Regie du Chemin de Fer de Mali (RCFM) will continue as owners of the railway’s assets in the two countries. The operation of international freight and passenger services will be concessioned to a separate company, provisionally known as SETI (Societe pour I’Exploitation du Traffic Ferroviaire International), to be owned jointly by strategic foreign investors, local private investors and the two governments. The strategic investor is being offered at least a 51% stake in the company, plus a majority on the Board of Directors.

CPCS Transcom of Canada, which helped design the concession arrangement, regulatory structures and track access, is assisting with the selection of investors, preparation of bidding documents and the development of criteria to evaluate the technical and financial bids.

PAKISTAN AIDS SÉNÉGAL

Railways Africa Editor — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 06:14:35 +0000

Pakistan is to provide Sénégal with a 15-year credit of $US2 million and technical assistance for the refurbishment of railway rolling stock in terms of a memorandum of understanding signed between Pakistan Railways Minister Javed Ashraf and Sénégalese Industry Minister Landing Savance. Societe Nationale Chemins de fer du Sénégal (SNCS), the state system, will be the beneficiary.

NEW 750KM RAILWAY

Railways Africa Editor — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 06:18:01 +0000

International steel producer Arcelor Mittal plans to start annual extraction of between 15 and 25 million tons of haematite and magnetite at four locations at Falémé, Senegal, by 2011. A new port is to be constructed at Dakar and about 750km of connecting railway. The entire project is estimated to cost $US2.2 billion.

[ Societe Nationale Chemins de fer du Sénégal (SNCS), the existing metre-gauge railway, runs 643km from Dakar to Kidira on the border with Mali, continuing to Bamako in that country. A 263km spur connects Dakar with St Louis. – editor