The national flag of Angola has been incorporated prominently in the new livery of CFL (Caminho de Ferro de Luanda) / Luanda Railway - sometimes called Angola Railway. CFL 111 (GE U20C) is pictured here in a holding yard alongside the dry dock (MV Belgravia in the dry dock) at Maydon Wharf, Durban, awaiting the arrival of a ship to take her and CFL 104 back to Angola. Both locomotives have been fully refurbished in South Africa to a very high standard by Pretoria based company, African Rail & Traction Services.
Wikipedia (the free online encyclopedia) provides the following information re the history of rail transport in Angola: “The Angolan civil war left the railway non-operational. In 2005, a 350 million US Dollar rehabilitation project was launched with funding from the China International Fund. From its terminal at the Atlantic port of Luanda, the railway heads inland towards Eastern Angola, but ends halfway. The project included the construction of 16 stations and 40 bridges. Attention to a number of drainage culverts and tree planting are among the few tasks yet to be implemented by the “China Ferrovia Group 20″ contractor”.
The CFL (Luanda Railway) insert on Wikipedia goes on to provide as follows re the resumptions of services: “In 2010, a passenger service resumed between Luanda and Malanje; Angola's Deputy Minister of Transport, José João Kuvingwa suggested that full operation could resume in 2011. In July 2010, a twice-weekly freight service began, between Dondo and Luanda. In November 2010, CFL announced hourly passenger trains between Viana and Textang; in December 2010, container services commenced, serving a dry port near Viana, and in January 2010 the first train reached Malanje. The big majority of trains works the suburban stretch from Luanda to Viana and further to Catete.
Regular services Luanda - Malanje started in January 2011. One train per day is working the line, either up, i.e. from Luanda to Malanje, or down in the opposite direction. The long distance trains start and end at Viana. In Mid-July 2011, the CFL announced the introduction of electronic ticketing on an experimental basis for interprovincial journeys, beginning July 18”.
Photos taken in the Durban area, from the PRASA / Metrorail yards just North of Durban Station to Rossburgh Station including the Bayhead yards and along the Esplanade, Maydon Wharf and around Durban Harbour.
