Trans-Gabon Railway: Gabon Mobilizes 133 Billion CFA Francs for its Modernization

Gabon will mobilize nearly 133 billion CFA francs to modernize the Trans-Gabon Railway, through a loan from the French Development Agency (AFD) supplemented by a grant from the European Union. This funding is intended to strengthen the safety, reliability, and capacity of this strategic line, vital for mining freight and domestic mobility.

Project Context

The Council of Ministers on April 30, 2026, authorized a loan of €173 million from the French Development Agency (AFD), equivalent to approximately 113.5 billion CFA francs. This is in addition to a grant of €30 million from the European Union, equivalent to 19.7 billion CFA francs, for a total of nearly 133 billion CFA francs.

This funding is part of the Trans-Gabon Railway Modernization and Security Program, presented as a continuation of the Upgrading Program launched in 2016. The objective is to consolidate an infrastructure that carries a significant portion of national transport, particularly for manganese and timber exports.

Why this line is strategic

The Trans-Gabon Railway is the country’s main rail artery, stretching 648 km between Libreville and Franceville. It carries both passengers and significant volumes of freight, making it a central link in the Gabonese economy.

Its renovation aims to address unstable areas, renew the rails and sleepers, modernize the signaling system, and improve the safety of level crossings. The project also includes overpasses to facilitate traffic flow and accommodate future increases in traffic.

What the financing changes

The benefit of this arrangement is twofold: it combines a concessional loan and a non-repayable grant, thus limiting the strain on public finances. In a context of budgetary constraints, this type of financing makes it possible to launch a major project without excessively increasing the short-term debt burden.

Politically and economically, this case also demonstrates the return of European donors to Gabonese infrastructure. It confirms that rail remains a key factor in national competitiveness, especially for a country where mining exports are heavily dependent on the quality of the logistics corridor.