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Now there is a new passenger train connecting Mali’s capital, Bamako with the country’s western part, Kayes, an important business hub and a bordering town with Senegal. The inaugural trip of the train was successfully completed, covering 400 km
Now there is a new passenger train connecting Mali’s capital, Bamako with the country’s western part, Kayes, an important business hub and a bordering town with Senegal. The inaugural trip of the train was successfully completed, covering 400 km. The line was closed for the last five years, making commuting between the two centers difficult and costly. The relaunch of the railway line was welcomed by the passengers and traders alike.
The line between Bamako and Kayes is important for the transport of people and goods. Earlier in 2018, the service was halted due to poor maintenance, leading to transport bottlenecks in one of the poorest countries in the world. That forced people to resort to long and uncomfortable bus journeys. The government has been thinking of rehabilitating the railway line for the last 15 years. The French, the ex-colonizer, had completed the Bamako-Kayes project in 1924, as a part of the 1286 km linking Bamako with the Senegalese capital, Dakar, some 1,286 kilometres away.
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The relaunch of the railway line was a long-felt need for passengers and traders alike. Because of the security problems in the terrains, the train had to pass through, there was a heavy presence of security personnel en route. For some time, the Mali government was contemplating the relaunch of the railway line. But there was uncertainty as to when it would be completed mainly due to security reasons. In the meantime, Mali’s economy and finance ministry said the rehabilitation costs of the railways, which amounted to US$10 million, would be realized in the first two years of operation.
