Africa’s Railways: Three Trends Reshaping the Continent’s Trade Future

by Africa Finance Corporation for Railways Africa Magazine

1. Africa’s railway sector is undergoing its largest expansion in decades, with over 7,000 km of new lines under construction or planned.
2. Development finance institutions are driving a revival in greenfield rail projects, bridging funding gaps for large-scale infrastructure.
3. Private sector participation is increasing through concessions, PPPs, and access-charge models, expanding beyond the extractives sector.
4. High-speed rail is emerging in North Africa, with flagship projects in Morocco and Egypt setting new connectivity benchmarks.
5. Rail is positioned as the backbone of Africa’s trade corridors, linking ports, markets, and industries to accelerate regional integration.
6. The Africa Finance Corporation’s Digital Map of African Railways offers an interactive view of existing, planned, and under-construction lines to boost investor engagement.

Few investments could accelerate Africa’s economic transformation more than modern rail. Imagine an Africa where goods can move from the ports of West Africa to the markets of East Africa in days, not weeks or months. An efficient, connected network would not only deepen regional trade integration but also unlock new corridors of growth across the continent. Around the world, every major development success story — from North America’s industrial rise to Europe’s single market and Asia’s manufacturing boom — has been built on efficient, well-connected railway networks. In Africa, rail offers more than transport: it is the backbone of economic corridors, linking ports to inland economies, connecting markets across borders, and enabling the large-scale, low-cost, low-emission movement of goods and people that drives competitiveness and growth.

Historically, Africa’s railways have been a public sector story – designed, financed, and operated primarily by governments. Yet, with sovereign debt burdens rising and fiscal space tightening, the traditional government-only model is evolving fast. A new generation of partnerships is emerging — combining public commitment with private capital and development finance — and this is reshaping the pace and scope of rail expansion.

From the State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2025, three major trends stand out that will define the next chapter of African rail.

Trend 1: Greenfield rail is back — powered by development finance

While around 90% of Africa’s rail networks remains public-owned, the financing model is shifting. Fiscal constraints mean that few governments can fund large-scale projects alone, but multilateral and development finance institutions are stepping into the gap, unlocking a new wave of greenfield construction.

The State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2025 identifies over 7,000 km of new railway lines either under construction or planned across the continent — a pace of expansion not seen in decades. This resurgence is being driven by partnerships that combine sovereign commitment with catalytic funding from institutions such as the World Bank (Egypt), the African Development Bank (Tanzania), the Africa Finance Corporation (Nigeria–Niger and Zambia–Angola), and Afreximbank (Ghana).

These investments are not simply preserving legacy lines — they are opening entirely new corridors, many with cross-border reach, positioning rail as a central pillar of Africa’s future logistics systems and trade networks.

Trend 2: Private sector participation gains ground

As public budgets face limits, private sector participation in rail is growing — though still concentrated in extractives. New frameworks are widening the scope for engagement, with concessions, tolling schemes, and access-charge models being introduced in several countries.

This is most visible in Egypt and South Africa, Africa’s two largest railway networks. In Egypt, private freight operators will, for the first time, be able to run on state-owned infrastructure via an access-charge system. In South Africa, state-owned Transnet is exploring partial privatisation of branch lines and mineral corridors. AFC Research estimates that private and PPP rail lines could account for 12% of Africa’s network by 2030, driven by projects such as Guinea’s Transguinean Railway, Liberia’s rail liberalisation, and the Lobito Corridor.

This marks a shift from single-industry lines toward multi-user, multi-sector economic corridors that anchor broader value chains and regional trade integration.

Trend 3: High-speed rail — a North African lead

Globally, high-speed rail has transformed connectivity in Asia and Europe, but in Africa, such systems are emerging primarily in the north:

1. Morocco operates Al Boraq, Africa’s first high-speed line, commissioned in 2018, now being extended from Kenitra to Marrakech — a 430 km link due before the 2030 World Cup.
2. Egypt is building a 660 km high-speed link between Ain Sokhna and Marsa Matrouh, the first stage of a 2,000 km national network serving 60 towns and cities. Phase 1 will connect the industrial and port hub of Ain Sokhna on the Gulf of Suez to Egypt’s New Administrative Capital and the Mediterranean coast.

Though currently concentrated in a few countries, these investments showcase Africa’s ability to diversify and expand its rail networks with the fastest, most reliable passenger services along strategic and densely populated routes.

Redefining the role of African rail

Africa’s rail revival will not happen by chance. It requires governments to align fiscal realities with investment ambitions, scale up inclusive private sector participation, and prioritise transformative flagship projects that break from outdated, extractives-only models.

The opportunity is clear: rail can once again be the backbone of Africa’s logistics and trade systems — connecting not just mines, but markets, farms, factories, and cities. By reducing transport costs, improving reliability, and enabling large-scale freight movement, rail has the power to accelerate industrialisation, boost agricultural trade, and knit together regional economies.

The tracks being laid today will shape whether Africa moves toward deeper integration and sustainable growth – or remains constrained by the limits of its infrastructure past.

For more on these developments, the Africa Finance Corporation has published a Digital Map of African Railways, available at http://map.africafc.org. This dynamic, interactive platform offers updated insights into the continent’s rail corridors, including those under construction and planned. By enhancing project visibility, fostering investor interest, and supporting coordination along key transport and trade routes, the tool is designed to help turn Africa’s rail ambitions into reality.