See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/282441966

The National Railway Master Plan in Cameroun

Technical Report · January 2010

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.1888.8400

CITATIONS READS

0 1,701

1 author:

Hyoshin Park
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
61 PUBLICATIONS   451 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Mobility Electronic Market for Optimized Travel View project

Adaptive Learning View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Hyoshin Park on 03 October 2015.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 1.1 Background
On the 1st of January 1960, East Cameroon gained its independence and became known as the
Republic of Cameroon under Ahmadou Babatoura Ahidjo. Beinf the Prime Minister since 1958, he
was elected as President in May 1960 under the banner of his part Union Cameounaise.
Reunification with the British southern part of Cameroon took place on 1st October of the
following year, given that the northern part of Cameroon had opted to unite with Nigeria in the
11th February 1961 referendum. The two Cameroons then formed the Federal Republic of
Cameroon with Ahmadou Ahidjo as president and John Ngu Foncha who was the Prime Minister
of British Cameroon in 1959 as Vice president. In 1962, the Franc CFA became the official
currency used within the whole country.

Cameroon began as an economically advantaged, relatively prosperous country among its peers
in Africa; however, as the international market price of petroleum, cocoa and coffee – Cameroon’s
key export items – crashed in the mid 1980s and the administration having failed to effectively
control the ensuing economic crisis, the country fell prey to long-term depressions spanning over
ten years. Consequently, the real GDP marked a drastic decrease of over 60% from 1986 to 1994,
while external debts skyrocketed.

To break through the economic crisis, the Cameroon government commenced various economic
reformations starting from the late 1980s, with the support of IMF and the World Bank. As part of
an on-going reform project, IMF approved a three-year term PRGF(Poverty Reduction and
Growth Facility) program in 2005. As a result, the inflation came under control according to the
official reports, but the living cost remained high, which incited violent civil riots in major cities
including Douala or Yaoundé. The Cameroon government took measures such as lowering the
import duties, but there was still an urgent need for a more fundamental solution for the economy
to regain its momentum.

In 2008, the Cameroon government announced its long-term vision for vitalizing the economy and
developing the nation into a newly industrialized country by the year of 2035. Among a number of
strategies devised to bolster the industry, the need to expand transport infrastructure is currently
most strongly emphasized. The basic goals and strategies for economic development may slightly
differ in each country, but the main focus of development investment lies on the infrastructure and
the foundational industry. Especially, Africa is suffering a severe backwardness of infrastructure
compared to other regions around the world, which is a major hindrance in its economic progress.
Cameroon is no exception; the poor transport infrastructure obstructs inter-regional logistics,
causing the price to rise. Despite a rich reserve of mineral resources, such as diamonds, gold and
bauxite, Cameroon is unable to fully utilise its potentials and possibilities due to its inadequate
transport system, and the national economy consequently remains stagnated.

The roads are mostly unpaved and dangerous to slowing down the traffic. Some roads are simply
impossible to navigate through during the rainy seasons, entailing excessive and unnecessary
expense. The poor road conditions also cause frequent traffic accidents and casualty rates are
over 2,500 people each year. The railway plays a central role in domestic cargo transport,
connecting Northern Cameroon, Republic of Central Africa, and Chad. However, the railway

1
1
1
 infrastructure is also antiquated, lacking competitive edge in terms of speed. Also, major domestic
cities are not properly connected, which hinders efficient transport. For mineral resources to be
mined and transported to ports or major cities in a timely manner, reformation of the transport is
the number one priority. For these reasons, Cameroon’s 2035 long-term vision points out the
importance of expanding and reinforcing the transport network, and the railway reformation is
noted as the most urgent task to be executed.

Researches conducted by international organizations such as WB(World Bank) or UN(United

Nations) also concludes that the railway network must be modified and renewed for Cameroon’s
economic development. SSATP also repeatedly emphasized the importance of the railways in
Cameroon. Theses researches all agree that Cameroon government must lose no time in
reforming the railway network in order to maximize the country’s potentials, as the overall
backwardness of the national economy is undermining the effectuality of Cameroon’s rich mineral
resources.

Under such circumstances, the Cameroon government came to acknowledge the need to reform
and expand the transport infrastructure, encompassing ports and railways. The economic benefits
to be reaped by saving domestic logistics cost and supporting the transport systems connecting
Cameroon and its surrounding countries are being reconsidered. As a result, the Cameroon
government requested Consortium(KOTI, CSE, KRNA and KORPEC) to conduct research and
establish a national railway network master plan with the aim of vitalizing the national economy
and reinforcing its global competitiveness.

1.2 Objectives of the Study

Objectives of the study can be summarized as follows.

i) Establish the master plan of the national railway network, which will serve as a motivator for
the national economy and balanced regional development.

ii) Establish an integrated plan for the railway network, organically connecting Cameroon and
neighbouring African nations.

iii) Develop private investment projects based on the mid/long-term railway network plan.

iv) Establish a railway network plan to promote a multi-laterally beneficial development of the
entire African region, not only connecting major cities and mining areas but also developing
intermodal transport using various transport modes.

v) Ultimately, contribute to the effective implementation of poverty alleviation program in

Cameroon.

The following issues must be taken into consideration in order to reach the above proposed
research goals.

2
2
2
 Firstly, there is a need to develop a railway network that may support not only the national, but
also the regional economy. The government must develop railways that connect mining areas and
major ports in order to bolster the national economy, and establish railway networks that
encompass major cities to foster balanced inter-regional development. Furthermore, there will be
a need to develop railway networks that connect Cameroon to neighbouring African countries,
with the aim of reinforcing Cameroon’s competitive edges on a global level.

Secondly, a decision must be made regarding the railway gauge. The railway gauge varies in
different African regions. North Africa uses the standard gauge(1,435mm) and South and West
Africa uses the narrow-gauge(1,067mm), whereas certain parts of East and West Africa resort to
narrow-gauge(1,000mm). The government must exercise discretion in deciding which track gauge
to use in order to maximize cargo transport efficiency, taking international networking possibilities
into consideration.

Thirdly, there is a need to develop a transport demand forecasting method that can sufficiently
reflect potential demands. As railways that connect to mining areas may have to process newly
generated cargo demands, there is a need for an analysis method that can reflect potential
demands rising from newly connected railways. In addition, the administrators must review
demands that are transferred from roads or airports to railways as the railway’s service quality
undergoes improvement.

Fourthly, there is a need to reinforce the intermodal system among different modes of transport.
As this research specifically focuses on inter-regional transport, efforts must be made to
strengthen the connections between railways and ports. Also, an efficient connective transport
network must be established for major cities, taking train station accessibility and egress into
consideration.

Fifthly, funding sources must be secured. It is unlikely that the government will be able to
shoulder all costs necessary for railway construction, as the national economy is not in good
shape. Therefore, other possibilities must be considered, such as receiving official development
assistance from international organizations or raising funds from the private sector.

Sixthly, measures to modernize railway operations, such as electric railways, must be reviewed.
To implement electric railway systems, power supply is a key issue. However, the current power
situation in Cameroon is not good enough to support electric railways. There is a need to review
measures to induce electric railway systems in the mid-long term perspective.

1.3 Work Scope

1.3.1 Time Scope
Basic year for ■ Basic year: 2008
data analysis - Based on the latest data
Target year for ■ Intermediate target year: 2020 and 2030
data analysis ■ Final target year: 2040

3
3
3
 1.3.2 Spatial Scope

Figure 1-1. The Study Area

4
4
4
 1.3.3 Work Scope
In the initial stage, the research team is to conduct field studies and data compilation with the help
of local companies and experts. These activities can be categorized into, first, analysis of the
project area’s characteristics, and second, analysis of current transport system’s characteristics.
In the first category, the team collects data regarding the environment, socio-economic indicators,
and mineral resources, with the aim of acquiring a deeper understanding of Cameroon as a whole.
Also, the team is to research the traffic, the status of the transport facilities and infrastructure,
state of maintenance and repair, and operation in order to analyze the transport characteristics.
Thus the team is to study the projects currently in motion and ones to be conducted in the future
by researching Cameroon’s larger projects/plans and other related plans.

Then, the study team constructs a basic database (O/D, Network, etc.) necessary for the
transport demand analysis which can be made from traffic volume data. It is the fundamental data
to forecast Cameroon’s future transport demand. Also the team reviews the current traffic status
by analyzing the nature of railway users and researching the traffic, and forecast future railway
demands.

In the rail network development stage using the forecast data, the team determines areas that
require railways in Cameroon by conducting an alignment study, and proposes a railway system
that may benefit the national economy. Also, the team searches for proper locations to assign the
stations and selects places with high accessibility and usability. An alternative option may be
proposed through this analysis process.

In the next stage, the team studies system operation plans and maintenance/repair measures that
guarantee maximum efficiency in operating the railways, and proposes data that enables the
related administrators to select the most appropriate system considering Cameroon’s socio-
economic conditions, by comparing the pros and cons of various types of systems. At the same
time the team drafts a train schedule, analyses and proposes the most proper dispatch intervals
and routes. The above data are needed to determine the necessary number of coaches.

The team conducts an economic feasibility study based on the above data, and presents the
economic indicator of the options proposed. The analysis may be classified as follows: benefit
analysis, cost estimates, and economic analysis. The benefit analysis takes into account savings
benefit to be reaped by constructing the railways such as travel time saving and operating saving.
In the cost estimates part, the team calculates the costs entailing the execution of each plan, such
as the construction cost, operating/maintenance cost, and rolling stocks cost. The B/C, IRR, NPV
can be calculated through the economic analysis, using the results from the previous two analysis.

The next stage comes in which practical execution measures are to be proposed. The team
selects routes that should be urgently implemented, and proposes an optimum plan for inducing
funding. In the following stage, the team is to analyze the effects of establishing the above
analyzed railway master plan. The socio-economic effects of the master plan in Cameroon are
estimated.

5
5
5
 Lastly, the team is to establish and present an execution plan for the railway master plan, based
on the results of the above conducted analysis. The construction plan is established to set up
priorities in executing the master plan for a step-by-step procedure. The team also proposes
institution and organization which could be effective and efficient for railway operation in
Cameroon.

6
6
6
 Figure 1-2. Overall Flow of the Study

7
7
7
 1.4 Consortium
This study is conducted by a consortium comprising four organisations: KOTI(The Korea
Transport Institute), CSE(Chungsuk Engineering), KRNA(Korea Rail Network Authority), and
KORPEC(Korea Port Engineering Corporation). KOTI, as the leading organisation in the study, is
in charge of the oversight and monitoring of the study, establishes the directions and policies for
railway development, and conducts analysis of transport demand forecasting and economic
feasibility studies. CSE takes on the railway construction technology and environment part, and
KRNA manages the overall issues concerning railway operation. KORPEC is in charge of on-site
activities. The Cameroon office supports on-site data collection and discussions with related
authorities, and establishes the railway facility for port cargo handling plans in the port sector.
Local collaborators have been designated to improve on-site investigation and the execution of
the given obligations. SADEG S.A, one of the local collaborators, is in charge of conducting field
studies and compiling a basic data based on Cameroon, and Mr. Vincent Jeseph Foe, as an
expert in the railway sector, will act as an adviser for the overall issues concerning Cameroon’s
railway sector. Establish a collaborative relationship with the ordering parties (MINEPAT and
Technical Committee) to ensure smooth execution of the research. The study’s task execution
system is as shown below.

Figure 1-3. Task Execution System

8
8
8

View publication stats