The Lobito Corridor railway secures $753 million
US and South African lenders will fund the upgrade of 1,300km of track linking Angola’s Atlantic coast to the Congo border.
Update: The railway set monthly cargo records in June and July 2026 and targets about 400,000 tonnes this year. Read the latest.
Key points
- The Lobito Corridor railway project reached financial close on $753 million on 3 July 2026.
- The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is lending $553 million and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) $200 million.
- The money will rehabilitate, upgrade and operate 1,300km of railway from the Port of Lobito in Angola to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
One of Africa's most important trade routes has its money in place. On 3 July 2026, the Lobito Corridor railway project reached financial close on $753 million.
Who is paying
- US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC): $553 million
- Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA): $200 million
The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Eaglestone advised on the deal. The railway is run by Lobito Atlantic Railway, a joint venture of Mota-Engil and Trafigura.
What it will pay for
The money will fund the rehabilitation, upgrade and long-term operation of 1,300 kilometres of existing railway from the Port of Lobito on Angola's Atlantic coast to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"Reaching financial close on the Lobito Corridor railway project is the culmination of years of work and a defining moment for infrastructure finance in sub-Saharan Africa," said Nuno Gil, founding partner of Eaglestone.
Why it matters
The corridor gives the copper and cobalt mines of the DRC and Zambia a faster route to the Atlantic, instead of long truck journeys to ports in the east or south. It could also carry farm produce and other goods and support new industries along the line. The project is part of a wider revival of African railways, along with lines such as Kenya's SGR extension.
Sources
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