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Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso renew their confidence in Sitarail

Puteaux. 02 August 2016

On Friday July 29, 2016, Sitarail and the governments of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso officially signed a revised convention of concession for the management and running of the rail network between Abidjan and Kaya via Ouagadougou.

[Translate to English:] Concession ferroviaire Sitarail - Bollore

Following an international call for tenders launched by the Timor Leste authorities, Bolloré Ports, a division of Bolloré Transport & Logistics, was selected for the implementation of this ambitious project, the country's first public-private partnership signed for a 30-year term. The global investment is set at USD 490 million over the term of the concession – the largest ever made in Timor Leste with a private partner – comprising:

  • the construction of a 630m wharf with a draught of 15m;
  • the creation of a 27-hectare yard;
  • the acquisition of new ultra-modern equipment meeting the highest international standards, including 2 ship-to-shore cranes (STS) and 5 rubber tired gantry cranes (RTG) on start-up.

Timor Leste‘s new container terminal will target productivity and performance levels in line with those of the world's biggest ports.
Three years of work will be necessary to transform this greenfield into a high-performance port complex.

Bolloré Transport & Logistics, which has been operating in Timor Leste for 16 years, through its subsidiary Bolloré Logistics (former SDV) is one of the largest country's private employer. This project will create 350 direct jobs and 500 more during the construction phase. It will also help promote the establishment of new companies in the future port district.

Press Contact:

Flora Etter

Tel: +33 (0)1 46 96 49 75
Mob: +33 (0)6 09 06 43 29
email : flora.etter(at)bollore.com
> Bolloré Transport & Logistics website

Senior authorities from both countries are thus renewing their confidence in Sitarail and the Bolloré Group, a historical partner that has managed and operated this rail network for 22 years.

Sitarail, a concession of Bolloré Railways, manages 1,260 km of railways linking Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. It has 1,450 employees and each year transports 300,000 passengers and 900,000 tons of freight.

The overhaul of this public-private partnership contract consists primarily in assigning Sitarail with the responsibility for investment to renew and maintain the network's infrastructure, in addition to a role of operator managing and investing in rolling stock. This significant extension of Sitarail's responsibilities concerns not only the actual railroad and track structures but also the industrial maintenance workshops and train stations.

Under this new agreement, Sitarail will push ahead with the complete refurbishing of 852 km of rail track and the renovation of several through stations. The works will help to safely increase traffic speeds, modernize the network and significantly grow transportation capacity. They will start on September 2016.

Philippe Labonne, Deputy CEO of Bolloré Transport & Logistics and CEO of Bolloré Ports

we are very proud to have been selected to work with the Timor Leste authorities. By facilitating trade, this project will give new impetus to the country's economy, for the benefit of all its inhabitants.

Eric Melet

Chairman of Bolloré Railways

The Bolloré Group would like to thank the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso for their confidence. The signing of this new agreement marks a key stage. It is fully in line with the considerable efforts made by the Bolloré Group since the creation of Sitarail. The attractiveness of railroads, a key facility for regional integration, will be considerably enhanced and enable us to accept new forms of traffic such as iron-ore, the upshot of the sub-region's long-term growth. We are proud to help contribute in this way to economic activity and social links in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

The new port will be located in Tibar Bay, 12 km from Dili. Special attention has been paid to environmental issues. Bolloré Ports will carry out an environmental impact study in the coming year to reduce the environmental impact of activities upon the design of the future port terminal.

Press Contact:

Direction of communication and external relations of Sitarail

Abidjan : (+225) 20 20 80 82
Ouagadougou : (+226) 25 33 01 67