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Aboard The Luanda-Malanje Train, Angola (AFP) Jan 13, 2011 Angola on Thursday re-opened a major railroad destroyed during the country's civil war, ending a near two-decade closure of a route whose resumption will provide a vital transport link for businesses and travellers. The 424-kilometre (263-mile) track between Luanda and the eastern city of Malanje was originally built by colonial ruler Portugal and was one of three major railway lines wrecked by the 27-year conflict. It closed in 1992. However it is the first major route to re-open under a four billion-dollar (3.07 billion-euro) rail project carried out by Chinese firms since the end of the African nation's 1975-2002 civil war. "This one is more modern," joked Julia Conde Oliveira, 49, a passenger who told AFP she had taken the train during the colonial era. "I am going to visit Malanje and its region as a tourist," she said as the train set off around 5:10 am (0410 GMT). Angola, which vies with Nigeria for the title of Africa's top producer of crude oil, has been on a massive infrastructure spending spree since the end of the civil war. China has played a pivotal role in reconstruction, extending generous credit lines conditioned on the hiring of Chinese companies and repaid in oil. Jana Antonio, 32, from Malanje, travelled to Luanda on a minibus but was heading home on the new rail service. "It's cheaper and safer to take the train," she told AFP. The Luanda to Malanje line, which crosses three provinces, originally opened in 1909, and its resumption of service will bring massive benefits to farmers and other businesses, analysts said. "It is a means of cheap transportation for large quantities of goods," said leading Angolan economist Alves da Rocha. "The train also passes through Ndalatando (Kwanza Norte), which is the second largest coffee producer in the country." Domingos Jorge Sassassa, president of the Chamber of Commerce in Malanje, said the railway's closure destroyed a major transport link with the capital and its re-opening would be a major boost for the regional economy. "Small farmers in the three provinces will be able to transport their produce to Luanda," he said. "It was very difficult to travel between Luanda and Malanje. It could take two to three days because of road conditions, especially during the rainy season." Angola plans to re-open other major rail links to the southern port city of Namibe (formerly Mocamedes) later this year, and to the central province of Benguela in 2012, Transport Minister Augusto Tomas said last month.
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