Name of the Project
Lobito Corridor railway project.

Location
The railway line extends across Angola for almost 1 300 km between the Port of Lobito to Luau, in eastern Angola. It connects with the rail network operated by the National Railway Society of the Congo, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to Kolwezi in the Copperbelt.

Project Owner/s
A 30-year concession has been awarded to the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) consortium comprising Trafigura, Mota-Engil and Vecturis SA.

Project Description
Under a 30-year concession awarded by the Angolan government in 2022, the project entails the finance, build, operation and transfer of a 1 289 km brownfield railway main line from Lobito to Negrao and the Luau border. It also includes a 28 km branch line from Negrao to Bimbas and the associated mineral terminal at the Port of Lobito.

LAR took over operations and maintenance in 2024. 

The project is expected to provide a critical link for the transport of copper, cobalt and other essential goods from the mineral-rich areas of the DRC to international markets through the Lobito port. 

Transportation capacity is expected to increase ten-fold, to about 4.6-million tonnes a year, and to reduce the cost of transporting critical minerals by an estimated 30%. It also has potential to boost the development of sectors along the line, including heavy industry, agriculture and mining, creating new jobs and new opportunities. 

The investment will include 1 555 wagons and 35 locomotives for the Angolan side of the corridor, as well as training and skills development, with dedicated training centres in place at Huambo and Lobito. 

The first 275 wagons arrived in Lobito in November 2024. LAR noted that deliveries would continue in 2026.

Future plans include a 259 km extension from Luacano, in Angola, to Jimbe, in Zambia.

Potential Job Creation
A formal project-wide job creation target has not been stated. However, the project is expected to support employment through railway rehabilitation, operations, maintenance, training and procurement. As of 2026, LAR says the Angola section and mineral terminal are supported by a workforce of 945, of whom 97% are Angolan nationals.

Capital Expenditure
The project secured a $753-million financing package in December 2025.

The package consists of $553-million from development finance institution the US International Development Finance Corporation and $200-million from development finance institution the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
Multilateral financial institution Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) served as co-financial adviser for the transaction.

Planned Start/End Date
The 30-year concession contract was signed on November 4, 2022. Transfer of the concession started in July 2023, with LAR taking over operations and maintenance in January 2024.  The route has been operational since 2024. 

Latest Developments
In 2025, LAR transported more than 200 000 t of cargo to and from the Port of Lobito. In January 2026, 30 000 t were transported, and the Port of Lobito received a record 50 000 t bulk sulphur vessel.

LAR reported in January 2026 that it had achieved its highest monthly traffic volume to date in December 2025, at 37 000 t across domestic and international traffic, and had received its largest sulphur bulk carrier to date in January 2026, with 50 000 t at the Port of Lobito mining terminal.

On February 9, 2026, Trafigura and Entreprise Générale du Cobalt announced an initial shipment of copper and cobalt to global markets through the Lobito Corridor.

Further, on February 19, 2026, Trafigura, Aurubis and Kamoa Copper announced the first sale of low-carbon-intensive copper anodes using the railway, with the cargo moving from Kolwezi through Lobito for shipment to Europe.

Volumes are expected to continue increasing steadily throughout 2026 as LAR establishes itself as a reliable, high-capacity export route. 

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Galison Manufacturing (South Africa) (new container wagons to the project); and AFC and Eaglestone (co-financial advisers on the $753-million financing package).

Contact Details for Project Information
Lobito Atlantic Railway headquarters: Terminal Mineiro do Porto do Lobito, tel +244 225 300 490 or email geral@lobitoatlantic.co.ao. 
Trafigura Press press office, tel +41 22 592 4528 or email media@trafigura.com.
Mota-Engil press office, tel +244 923 120 420 or email geral@mota-engil.co.ao.
Vecturis press office, tel +32 2 626 26 80 or email info@vecturis.com.