On October 30, Mocamedes Railway constructed by China Hyway Group Limited in Angola was officially delivered to Angola government after two years of maintenance and operation support. About several hundred people including Angola’s Transport Minister Tomás and local government representatives as well as Chairman Liu Daiwen and Vice President Wei Ruihai of China Hyway Group Limited attended the delivery ceremony at Lubango, a city in the south of Angola.

On October 30, Quipaxel (left), Director of Mocamedes Railway Bureau, exchanged completion documents with Liu Daiwen (right), Chairman of China Hyway Group Limited 

   Mocamedes Railway is located in the south of Angola, starts from the harbor city Namibe in the west and ends in Menonge in the east, is 1003km long plus the two branch lines, being the truck line traversing the south of Angola and connecting the two important iron mining areas in the south of Angola. This railway was originally constructed by Portuguese during the colonial period and completely destroyed due to disrepair and damaged by war. China Hyway Group Limited spent about ten years in the Mocamedes Railway Project and constructed 56 railway stations besides the railway with a total distance of 1003km.

   On September 11, 2015, Mocamedes Railway met the preliminary delivery requirements and entered into the warranty period of two years. During this period, Hyway Group provided railway operation support, personnel training and railway maintenance service. 

Lubango Station for Mocamedes Railway took on September 11, 2015

   During the trail operation, the State Secretary from the Ministry of Transport of Angola and officials from the railway bureau traveled by a special train; Angola officials placed a cup full of water on the table in the compartment and asked the driver to increase the speed over 110km/h, though the design speed per hour was 100km/h; the officials clapped their hands when they saw no water spilled.

   Upon the official delivery, China Hyway Group was awarded the Mocamedes Railway maintenance contract and will provide operation maintenance for five years and continue to provide training and operation support to Angola.

   Tomás, Angola’s Transport Minister, said on the ceremony that the successful completion and putting into operation of this railway project is a very important step in Angola 3D traffic planning and construction, will significantly improve the traffic and transportation conditions along the railway and help the development of economic diversification in Angola. 

Mocamedes Railway constructed by China Hyway Group Limited in the south of Angola