Luanda, Sept. 30, 2026 (Lusa) - The company that manages and operates the Lobito Corridor in Angola expects to handle around 400,000 tonnes of freight in 2026, an increase of 51% compared with 2025, it announced on Wednesday in a statement.
According to Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), the consortium responsible for Angola's main logistics corridor, freight volumes are expected to rise from 265,000 tonnes in 2025 to around 400,000 tonnes in 2026.
According to the figures released, «since the start of operations in January 2024, LAR has recorded continuous growth», with «around 96,000 tonnes in 2024 and approximately 265,000 tonnes in 2025».
Of the tonnes transported, «around 65,000» correspond to «domestic freight, including cement, agricultural products and industrial and commercial goods», according to the company.
Quoted in the press release, LAR's director, Ottoniel Manuel, specifies that «the rail transit time between Kolwezi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and the Port of Lobito (Angola) is seven to eight days, at least 20 days less than by road».
He emphasises that «the growth of the operation has been accompanied by job creation», adding that «LAR currently employs around 1,000 workers, 97% of whom are Angolan, with an average age of around 35».
The company, a consortium comprising Trafigura, Mota-Engil and Vecturis, estimates that its operations contribute to approximately 2,000 indirect jobs.
«It is precisely within this vision of development that Lobito Atlantic Railway operates, so that, through its activities, it can contribute to the growth of the entire economy along the corridor,» he said.
For Manuel, «the evolution of transport corridors into development corridors requires an integrated vision, which includes rail and port infrastructure and links it to the revitalisation of productive activities, job creation and the development of local skills».
The Lobito Corridor is approximately 1,300 kilometres long and serves as a strategic corridor for the transport of minerals and goods, linking the port of Lobito in Angola to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
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