The movement of the locomotives represents a practical mobilisation step for construction of Line 1 of the Abidjan Metro. AGL Côte d’Ivoire handled the operation from port unloading through abnormal-load road transport to placement of the locomotives onto the track at Abobo Sagbé.
The operation also illustrates the specialist logistics required to support major railway projects. Transporting equipment with a combined weight of 332.28 metric tonnes required route surveys, lifting and load-securing procedures, hydraulic trailers, a 400-tonne-capacity crane and coordination with port authorities, security services and the project’s technical teams.
Africa Global Logistics (AGL) Côte d’Ivoire transported five locomotives intended for construction work on Line 1 of the Abidjan Metro between 2 and 4 August 2026. With a combined weight of 332.28 metric tonnes, the railway equipment was transported from the Autonomous Port of Abidjan to the receiving site at Abobo Sagbé as part of an operation carried out on behalf of COLAS RAIL.
The transport and placement of the locomotives onto the track mark a new operational stage in mobilising the equipment required to advance this major urban mobility project in Côte d’Ivoire.
AGL Côte d’Ivoire managed the entire operational chain, from unloading the locomotives using lifting equipment at the port through to placing them onto the track at the receiving site. The operation included lifting the locomotives, loading them onto two hydraulic trailers, technical and safety inspections, escorted road transport and final unloading.
The abnormal-load transport operation required detailed preparation. AGL’s teams carried out a route survey, assessed the risks associated with the transport and lifting operations, established load-securing procedures and coordinated the operation with the port authorities, security forces and the project’s technical teams.
For the operation, AGL Côte d’Ivoire deployed two Nicolas hydraulic trailers, road tractors designed for abnormal-load transport, a 400-tonne-capacity crane, as well as specialised lifting, load-securing, escort and supervision equipment.
Each stage was carried out in accordance with AGL’s HSE standards, including prior equipment inspections, demarcation of the operational areas and continuous supervision of the various manoeuvres.
“Beyond its technical complexity, this operation puts our expertise at the service of a project that will transform mobility in Abidjan over the long term. The successful completion of this transport operation depended on meticulous planning, specialised equipment and precise coordination between all those involved. It demonstrates our ability to provide practical logistics solutions for Côte d’Ivoire’s major infrastructure projects,” said Dieudonné Gaïbaï, Managing Director of AGL Côte d’Ivoire.
By transporting and placing these locomotives onto the track, AGL Côte d’Ivoire is contributing directly to the mobilisation of the railway equipment required to advance the project. The operation illustrates the strategic role of major-project logistics in infrastructure development and in Côte d’Ivoire’s economic development.
