According to the Vecturis LinkedIn page, on January 25 the Lobito Atlantic Railway S.A. took over the operations of the Benguela Railway, the primary rail underlying the Lobito Corridor. The first two trains were authorized to depart at 5:00 in the presence of the Board of Directors of the Caminho de Ferro de Benguela.
The Lobito Atlantic Railway S.A. is the joint venture that manages the main railway concession comprising the Lobito Corridor. The parties to the JV are Trafigura, Mota-Engil, and Vecturis. According to the Trafigura website, a condition of the JV winning the concession was to agree to invest more than $450 million in the railway and secure more than 1,500 wagons and 35 locomotives. The 30-year concession was awarded on November 4, 2022.
CEO of Trafigura, Jeremy Weir, Speaking shortly after winning the concession:
"Our project will not only create a western route to market for goods and materials. We believe the Lobito rail corridor has huge potential to boost the development of sectors along the line including heavy industry, agriculture and mining, creating new jobs and new opportunities. We believe the Lobito railway will be a catalyst for growth and investment in Angola, DRC, Zambia and the wider region."
