The revival of the Matadi–Kinshasa railway marks a historic turning point for Congolese logistics. After several decades of slowdown, a first convoy of 500 tons of cement has already shown that rail could once again become a major player in the corridor. The outlook for 2025–2026 is ambitious: bringing the train back to the heart of freight transport between the port of Matadi and the capital.
Numbers That Speak
Historic potential: up to 2.7 million tons/year carried by rail in the 1950s.
Realistic objectives 2025–2026: depending on scenarios, the line could transport:
0.15 Mt/year in the restart phase (2–3 trains/week, 500–1,000 t/train)
0.5 Mt/year with one daily train (≈1,000 t per working day)
1 Mt/year if two daily trains run regularly
Each 1,000 t train equals 35–40 trucks removed from National Road No.1.
On a daily rhythm, that represents more than 10,000 trucks/year off the Kinshasa–Matadi highway.
Good News… But Not Without Consequences
Fewer trucks = decongestion of RN1, less road wear, improved safety.
Less road freight = risk of job losses for trucking companies that heavily invested in this corridor.
Alternatives for Road Transporters
- Rail–Road Complementarity: trucks could specialize in the last mile, delivering cargo arriving by train to consumption zones.
- Diversification of Routes: repositioning on other strategic corridors (Kinshasa–Kikwit, Kinshasa,Lubumbashi, border corridors via Kasumbalesa, etc.).
- Public–Private Partnerships: creation of multimodal logistics zones (rail–road) where truckers and railway operators work together.
- Sectoral Reorientation: shifting towards passenger transport, agricultural freight, or mining freight in areas without rail.
Striking the Right Balance
The revival of the Matadi–Kinshasa railway is a major opportunity for the country: cutting logistics costs, easing trade, and preserving road infrastructure. But it also raises a crucial social question: how to support trucking companies to avoid massive job losses?
The challenge is one of governance and economic vision. Rather than opposing rail to road, the future lies in an intelligent integration of both modes to the benefit of the entire Congolese economy.
