EAC to host railway system conference

4 March 2010

Transport infrastructure in east Africa could see improvements after a conference on the region's railway system was announced.

Due to take place on March 11th-12th, the forum is being hosted by the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat, the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

It is hoped that the meeting will be able to look at ways to improve the railway system and go some way to putting the East African Railway Master Plan into action.

Donors and people from the public and private sectors will be in attendance.

Heads of state in the EAC have issued a master plan, which was prepared by CPCS Transcom of Canada.

Prime minister of Tanzania Mizengo Pinda will give the keynote speech at the event.

According to the EAC portal, railway operations in the region have mainly been 'concessioned', which has meant that governments now face the prospect that much of the infrastructure could shut down.

The EAC was first established in 1967 and Burundi and Rwanda became full members in 2007.

Category: Transport