By Akanimo Sampson
By the fourth quarter of this year, the first phase of Dakar Regional Express Train (TER), a railway line being built to connect Dakar city centre with Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) in Senegal, is expected to start operations.
This is after President Macky Sall, asked the Minister of Infrastructures, Land Transport, and Opening up during the recent council of ministers meeting to ensure the lifting of all the constraints related to the commercial exploitation of the TER, at the latest in November 2021.
Once operational, this phase which is 36km-long, will connect the center of Dakar to the new business town of Diamniadio, in 35 minutes, crossing the entire outskirts of the capital.The implementation of the TER project which is a part of the economic development plan of Senegal and which aims to offer services for the Dakar suburbs by replacing Petit Train de Banlieue (PTB), commenced in December 2016 in two phases.
The first section involved the upgrade of the 36km-long existing infrastructure between Dakar and Diamniadio stations, while the second phase involves the construction of a new 19km-long railway line between Diamniadio station and the AIBD that is expected to transport approximately 115,000 passengers a day when it becomes fully operational.The new railway line will also replace the existing rail facilities and will have provision for the installation of four future tracks. An electrified double-track with a standard gauge for passengers and a metric track for freight will also be built as well as a maintenance and service track that can be converted into a fourth track in the future.When operational, the entire project will link Dakar with AIBD in 45 minutes through a 55km-long track passing through 14 stations.
