In Togo, how Faure Gnassingbé wants to revive rail transport.

The project is part of a broader ambition led by Faure Gnassingbé: to make Togo a platform for transit, industrial transformation, and re-export to landlocked countries in the sub-region. In this strategy, the railway is not being relaunched as a mere symbol of the past, but as a practical tool to reduce pressure from trucks, accelerate the transport of goods, and better connect the port to industrial and agricultural areas.

The core of the system concerns the rehabilitation of the railway line between the Autonomous Port of Lomé and the Adétikopé Industrial Platform. This link is expected to enable the transfer of containers by rail between the port and this platform located north of the capital. The goal is to prevent most of the cargo traffic from relying solely on heavy trucks, which are already saturating the routes around Lomé.

The railway as a solution to the congestion at the Port of Lomé

The Autonomous Port of Lomé is one of Togo’s main economic assets. Its strategic position on the Gulf of Guinea makes it a major entry point for goods destined for the Togolese market, as well as for landlocked countries in the sub-region. However, this logistical performance comes at a cost. The concentration of traffic around the port puts significant pressure on the roads, particularly in the Greater Lomé area.

It is precisely this difficulty that the new program aims to address. By transferring some of the containers to the Adétikopé Industrial Platform by rail, the Togolese government hopes to reduce traffic jams, limit the circulation of large trucks in urban areas, and improve processing times for goods.

The revival of the railway thus appears as a direct response to a structural problem: the port functions as the engine of the economy, but its urban environment suffers the consequences of this activity. Developing a rail link with Adétikopé should allow part of the logistical operations to move out of the congestion center.

Adétikopé, the central piece of the logistics strategy

The Adétikopé Industrial Platform occupies a central place in this new architecture. Designed as an integrated industrial and logistics zone, it is to host activities in transformation, storage, handling, and distribution. Its rail connection with the Port of Lomé can make it a crucial relay between the coast and the inland markets.

For Togo, the challenge is to no longer be merely a transit country. The government also wants to turn the country into a space for transformation and value creation. By connecting the port to an industrial platform by rail, authorities seek to attract more private investments, develop local value chains, and enhance the export of processed products.

This logic is particularly important in a context of regional competition. West African ports are all seeking to capture flows to Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and other landlocked markets. For Lomé, the quality of the connection between the port, industrial platforms, and transport corridors becomes a strategic advantage.

A project that is not limited to rail

Even though the revival of the railway is the most visible element of the program, the funding from the World Bank does not concern just the Lomé-Adétikopé line. It also covers the improvement of urban mobility in Greater Lomé and the strengthening of connectivity in high-potential agricultural areas.

The government thus aims to act on several levels. In the capital, it is about reducing traffic difficulties, improving public transportation, and limiting the effects of heavy traffic on the quality of life of residents. In agricultural regions, the goal is to facilitate access to markets for producers, particularly in Kara, the Savanes, the Plateaux, and the Mô Plain.

This approach reflects an integrated vision of transport. The railway should streamline the logistical chain around the port and industry. Rural roads should connect production areas to processing centers and markets. Overall, the aim is to reduce post-harvest losses, improve the flow of agricultural products, and strengthen the competitiveness of agro-food sectors.

A railway revival first focused on freight

The announced revival does not at this stage mean a widespread return of passenger trains across the Togolese territory. The project primarily targets freight transport, particularly containers between the Port of Lomé and the Adétikopé Industrial Platform.

This choice is strategic. Rail freight can transport large volumes with less pressure on the roads. It can also improve the predictability of delivery times, reduce logistics costs, and decrease some environmental impacts related to the massive circulation of trucks.

For economic operators, a functional railway between the port and an industrial platform can change the way flows are organized. Containers could be moved more quickly to a better-structured logistics zone, where storage, processing, customs clearance, or re-export operations can be more effectively organized.

Faure Gnassingbé is counting on the logistics corridor

Through this program, Faure Gnassingbé aims to consolidate an orientation already visible in Togolese economic policy: to make the country a major logistics corridor in West Africa. The Port of Lomé, the Adétikopé Industrial Platform, the road axes to the north, and now the rail link must function as parts of a single system.

This strategy targets domestic markets, but also the hinterland countries. Togo wants to capture a larger share of goods destined for Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and other landlocked economies in the region. To achieve this, it must offer fast, safe, and competitive services.

The railway then becomes an economic argument. It can strengthen the port’s efficiency, lighten transport costs, improve circulation around Lomé, and enhance Togo’s credibility as a regional platform.

A bet that depends on execution

The funding obtained is an important step, but the success of the project will depend on its implementation. The rehabilitation of the railway line must be conducted rigorously, within controlled timelines, with effective coordination between port authorities, industrial operators, transporters, customs services, and financial partners.

The challenge will also be operational. To convince businesses to use the railway, it will be necessary to guarantee the regularity of operations, the security of goods, the reliability of deadlines, and the competitiveness of costs. Without these conditions, operators might continue to prefer the road despite current traffic jams and constraints.

The other challenge concerns the articulation between rail and other modes of transport. The railway will not replace the road; it must complement it. Trucks will remain essential for final distribution, but their role could be better organized if part of the heavy transport is absorbed by the railway.

A turning point for transport in Togo

With this program, Togo is entering a new phase in the modernization of its transport infrastructure. The country wants to shift from a model largely dominated by road transport to a more integrated system combining port, rail, industrial platforms, urban roads, and rural tracks.

The revival of rail transport between Lomé and Adétikopé is therefore more than just a technical project. It embodies an economic ambition: to make Togo a more fluid, competitive hub that is better connected to regional markets.

Now, the challenge is to translate the funding into visible results. If the rehabilitated railway line lives up to its promises, it could reduce congestion around the Port of Lomé, accelerate the transfer of containers, strengthen the Adétikopé Industrial Platform, and give a new breath to Togo’s logistical role in West Africa.