The feasibility study for the construction of a railway line between Cameroon and Chad has been completed, according to information released by the Ministry of Transport’s communication unit. Although the findings of this study, disclosed in April 2024, have not yet been made public, Business in Cameroon has learned that it highlights three distinct routes totaling nearly 2,100 kilometers. This study aimed to identify the best route, although the specific paths studied were not specified.

However, during the European Union (EU) and Cameroon Business Week on February 20in Yaoundé, a senior official from the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Territorial Development indicated that three possible routes, with varying costs, had been proposed, as reported by SBBC. The first proposed route would start from Ngaoundéré, the regional capital of Adamaoua, and reach the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, passing through Garoua, Maroua, and Kousseri in Cameroon. This route would require an investment of CFA4,829 billion.

The second route would also start from Ngaoundéré to N’Djamena, this time passing through the Chadian cities of Moundou, Kélo, and Bongor, with an estimated cost of CFA2,988 billion. As for the third and final proposed route, linking Ngaoundéré to N’Djamena via Garoua, Figuil, Kéré, Pala, Kélo, and Bongor, it would require a budget of CFA4,948 billion. Initially, two routes with lower costs were considered: a 400 km railway line connecting Ngaoundéré to Moundou for an investment of CFA1,160 billion, and a 1,400 km route passing through Garoua and Maroua to reach N’Djamena, costing CFA1,400 billion. So far, no definitive agreement on the route has been reached.

To finance the feasibility study, Cameroon and Chad secured a loan of 2 million units of account (over CFA1.2 billion at the current value of the US dollar) from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The agreement was signed in Yaoundé on February 20, 2021, between the Cameroonian Minister of Economy, Planning, and Territorial Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, and the AfDB country representative, in the presence of the Cameroonian and Chadian Ministers of Transport. This project is expected to not only connect the northern regions of Cameroon but also facilitate the transit of goods from the port of Douala to Chad.

Source: Business in Cameroon