Railway Assessment 

Benin railway network was constructed during the colonial period, from 1900 to 1936. It’s structured around a single track, narrow gauge (1m) of 577 km in total and divided in three lines: 

1. The central line from Cotonou to Parakou, 438 km. 

2. The West line, linked to the central line at Pahou (Pobè). 32 km from Pahou to Segbohoue via Ouidah. 

3. The East line from Cotonou to Pobe via Porto-Novo,107 km. 

The two last railway lines have been put out of operation: Cotonou – Pobè and Cotonou – Sègbohoué.  

In November 2013, Benin and Niger signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a railway line linking Cotonou to Niamey. 

In addition to linking Parakou with Gaya, this project also aims to rehabilitate and modernize the Cotonou-Parakou railway line. The end of the work was scheduled for September 2015. Ultimately, the project was supposed to be implemented by Bolloré group. And strategically, with the partner, the aims was to connect Cotonou to Abidjan via Niamey and Ouagadougou ( with nearly 3,000 km of railway line in total). 

For the moment, only the central line is being used. Normally, the track was supposed to reach Niamey, linking landlocked Niger to the Port city of Cotonou. The project was stopped by the Second World War and unfortunately was not followed through by both countries (Benin and Niger) after their independences. 

In fact, as in many other African countries, investments in the rail sector have been very limited. Indeed, to improve this situation, both governments of Benin and Niger have decided to launch the project AFRICARAIL together with Togo and Burkina Faso. The objective of the project is for the first phase to build 1,300 km of rails to connect to the partner countries. 

Travel Time Matrix 

Travel Time from Capital City to Major Towns (Hours / Days) 

Railway Companies and Consortia 

The former joint organization Benin Niger of Railways and Transport (OCBN) which was Bi-state company with capital of 23 billion of FCFA and created since 1959, was privatised by the President Former President Yayi Boni in 2014 to become Benin rails.  

During the Assessment, it has been noted that on 04 September 2014, the Government of Benin published on its official portal a press release on the working visit of the Nigerien President to Benin and on the construction of the OCBN station in repair. The PETROLIN Group hereby strongly disagrees with the State's statement of facts concerning the construction and rehabilitation project for the Benin-Niger railway line. This project is presented on the official portal of Benin, as one of the segments of a "Railway Loop" from Abidjan to Lomé, including through Ouagadougou, Niamey and Cotonou. There is no global international agreement on such a "loop" or legal framework. 

The Republics of Benin and Niger are in fact bound by formal agreements concerning the Benin-Niger railway and it is in this context that they launched an international call for tenders in August 2008 for the occasioning of the said railway network. its rehabilitation, construction, operation and management. 

The PETROLIN Group won this call for tenders, which was notified to it on 22 July 2010 by final award letter N ° 001/2010/MTTA / MTTTATP/PR/CPC signed by Benin and Niger. 

On the other hand, the Bolloré group, which had acquired the bidding documents, finally refrained from bidding. 

The PETROLIN Group is therefore the designated concessionaire for the Cotonou-Parakou-Dosso-Niamey railway network. It is in this capacity that at the request of the Benin and Niger States, its President Mr Samuel DOSSOU-AWORET, was able to take part in discussions with private investors, the Bolloré Group, to give them the opportunity to participate in the PETROLIN Group project within the existing legal framework. 

Also, the PETROLIN Group can only contest the declarations published by the Beninese Government on its official portal. 

It should be remembered that it is the PETROLIN Group which is behind the "Dorsal Spine" project. 

The main component of this project is the Cotonou-Parakou-Niamey railway line via Dosso with its two (02) terminals created by the PETROLIN Group, the already built Dry Port of Parakou and the Oil, Mineral and Commercial Port in water. Deep Seme Podji subject of a Special Agreement between the Republic of Benin and the PETROLIN Group. 

This work and achievements were carried out in execution of the Framework Convention concluded on January 25, 2010, between the Republic of Benin and the PETROLIN Group in order to allow the development of the Dorsal Spine Project. This Framework Agreement has granted the PETROLIN Group exclusive rights, particularly over the Benin - Niger railway. These rights were reinforced by the call for tenders won by the PETROLIN Group on the Benin-Niger rail network. 

It will be added that under the terms of Article 15 of the Framework Convention, the Beninese State undertook not to expropriate the PETROLIN Group in any way whatsoever from all or part of the assets of the back-bone Project. or to disturb the full and exclusive enjoyment of the rights related to the project. 

The PETROLIN Group has already incurred significant expenditures, notably for carrying out the feasibility studies of the Sèmè Podji Railway, the Oil, Mineral and Commercial Deepwater Port, the construction of the Parakou Dry Port and intends that its rights be respected. 

Also, the PETROLIN Group invites, the States of Benin and Niger as well as the BOLLORE Group, to abide by and respect the rights granted which they cannot claim to ignore without jeopardizing the implementation of the Public / Private Backbone Project, designed to participate in the economic and social development of Benin, the neighbouring countries and countries of the sub region; and to continue with the concessionaire designated this project in the existing legal framework, and this in the interest of the populations and the companies in Benin, Niger and in the sub-region. 

Capacity Table 

Today there is only a single operational line (Cotonou-Parakou) which partly ensures the traffic of goods in transit to the hinterland countries. 

Key Route Information 

Key Stations