In Senegal, the official launch of the commercial circulation of the Regional Express Train (TER) was held on Monday, December 27. This train aims to relieve congestion in Dakar, which concentrates 25% of the population and 70% of the country’s economic activity.
After its inauguration in January 2019, the Regional Express Train made several demonstration trips on Monday as part of the effective start of commercial operations initially planned from January 15, 2020, after a free period offered to the populations.
According to the President of the Republic, who enumerated the various points which motivated the realization of this project, the latter aims to meet the requirements: “mass transport with 15 trains available, comfort with adequate interior fittings, regularity , a frequency of a train every 10 mins from 6 am to 10 pm, speed, mobility, safety and security ”.
This train runs on two standard tracks and one metric track of 36 km each, or 108 km, and has 4 wagons. It will provide a link between Dakar and the city of Diamnadio in 18 minutes and will serve 14 stations.
At a cost of CFAF 780 billion ($ 135 million), this dual-mode electric and thermal train has a capacity of more than 565 passengers and will carry around 115,000 passengers per day with a speed of 160 km / h. The prices to get on board vary between 500 (1 dollar) and 2,500 CFA F (5 dollars).
The TER project is being carried out in two phases, notably the Dakar-Diamniadio route and the 2nd phase, i.e. 19 km of additional tracks, will link Diamniadio to the airport (AIBD) at the end of 2023.
