Luanda, April 16, 2026 (Lusa) – Floods in Benguela have interrupted only passenger rail transport between Lobito and Benguela and have not affected the port terminal on the Lobito Corridor, an official source announced.
Provisional passenger services will begin on Monday, 20 April.
Technical inspections have so far identified three main areas of damage due to Sunday's heavy rainfall, according to a joint statement released on Thursday by the Benguela Railway (CFB) and the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR).
The institutions stated that the bridge over the Cavaco River on the Benguela branch is currently inoperable. This has "exclusively interrupted passenger transport between Lobito and Benguela, without affecting the LAR-S.A. Mining Terminal or the Multipurpose Terminal."
Damage occurred to approximately 200 metres of track bed at kilometre 123 between Cubal and Caimbambo, halting freight traffic on the Benguela-Huambo section. Four kilometres in the Halo River region were also affected, while teams evaluate an additional 30 kilometres of the railway line.
To "minimise" the impact on urban mobility, the CFB will provide a provisional suburban train service on weekdays between Lobito and Nossa Senhora da Graça starting 20 April. Authorities will increase services as technical conditions allow.
Regarding freight transport between Huambo and Lobito, LAR is assessing a road freight alternative between Dango and Lobito to ensure the flow of goods to the port of Lobito during repairs.
The organisations guaranteed that the Lobito Corridor remains operational. The LAR-S.A. Mining Terminal and the Multipurpose Terminal "are operating normally", and the main line remains active between Cubal and Luau on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Joint technical teams are still assessing the damage on the ground caused by the Cavaco River that left a trail of destruction through homes and institutions, with at least 19 dead, several missing, and thousands displaced.
Rail traffic on the affected sections remains suspended until technical evaluations are complete. The Lobito Atlantic Railway, an international consortium, operates the approximately 1,300-kilometre railway line across Angola.
DAS/RYOL // AYLS
Lusa
