Angola Releases Update on Luanda Metro Project

During the last meeting of the National Public Works Council (NPWC) of Angola in September 2023, the Luanda Metro project featured prominently on the agenda. Announced in 2021 when German company Siemens signed an MoU with the Angolan Ministry of Transport, work was supposed to kick off back in 2022.

However, due to various reasons, the project start has been delayed. At a length of 149 km, the Luanda metro is estimated at over EUR 3 billion. It consists of several lines such as the Circular line, Kitamba line, Samba line, Sao Paulo Line, Cacuaco Line, Viana Line, Camama Line and Cazenga Line.

The Council is composed of 12 ministers who are assisted technically by representatives of the Association of Architects and Engineers of Angola. This Council meeting was chaired by the Minister for Economic Coordination Jose de Lima Massano with Antonio Resende acting as Secretary of the NPWC.

“We are still dealing with certain aspects of the Surface Metro, which covers the entire city. We are looking at which is the main and priority branch that should be built.”

Angola NPWC Secretary Antonio Resende

The Council meets regularly to review major infrastructural projects. Other than the Luanda Metro, the NPWC also lookd at the Agostinho Neto International Airport and Barrra do Dande Ocean Terminal projects.

Further to negotiations with Siemens, Angolan President Joao Lourenco approved the start of the construction of Phase One at an estimated cost of EUR 1.3 billion. This initial phase involves a 39-km double-track railway with 24 stations and connects the Port of Luanda with Kilamba City.

In view of the population growth of Luanda which is projected to cross 12 million by 2030, the need for an efficient mass transit network is becoming a clear necessity.