Mega Infrastructure Drive: $6 Billion to Build Trans-African Export Railway

Mining firm A&S Resources Limited has formally secured $6 billion in project financing from the Export-Import Bank of India to construct a major heavy-haul rail corridor connecting the Central African Republic (CAR) to the Atlantic coast. As announced via primary source PR Newswire, the approximately 1,350-kilometer dual-track railway will bridge landlocked CAR through neighboring Cameroon, terminating at the deep-water Port of Kribi. The massive infrastructure investment is designed to overcome historical logistical bottlenecks and unlock one of the world’s largest undeveloped high-grade iron ore deposits, which geologists link to a massive regional magnetic anomaly with a resource potential exceeding 20 billion tonnes and an estimated gross in-situ value of $2.5 trillion.

The dual-track heavy haul infrastructure will feature an initial freight transit capacity of 250,000 tonnes per day, with operational scaling capability up to 300,000 tonnes daily. Engineering analysis and coverage from WebDisclosure notes that the project is being executed in operational partnership with China Railway Sixth Group Co., Ltd (CRSG)—a subsidiary of China Railway Group Limited—with field mobilization scheduled for late 2026 following ongoing topographical and technical surveys. Beyond tapping into vast iron ore reserves, the rail corridor will also serve as an export pipeline for CAR’s rare earth elements, copper, and critical mineral deposits, providing landlocked mining concessions with direct access to global shipping channels.

From a macroeconomic perspective, the cross-border railway marks one of the most substantial infrastructure commitments in Central Africa to date, carrying broad implications for regional supply chains and cross-border trade. Operational insights from MineListings highlight that the transit corridor will not only serve heavy industry, but also stimulate auxiliary industrial, commercial, and agricultural development across both CAR and Cameroon. By transforming Kribi into a central gateway for Central Africa’s inland mineral wealth, the multi-billion-dollar project provides a vital economic foundation for job creation, skills transfer, and long-term regional integration.