MADAGASCAR: A passenger train service launched in Antananarivo offers ‘a fast, comfortable and reliable alternative for daily commutes’ and aims to reduce urban congestion in the capital, according to Jhanard Privat Andriamiarantsoa, Director General of Land Transport at the Ministry of Transport & Meteorology.
The 16 km Train Urbain service links Soarano station in the city centre with Ambohimanambola. It began carrying passengers on December 16 after a ceremony the previous day.
There are initially two services per day, at 5.00 and 17.30, operated by a locomotive and two coaches with a total capacity of 300 passengers and a journey time of 55 min or 65 min. The fares are intended to be affordable for everyone.
A second train is planned to improve reliability and increase the service frequency. Infrastructure management and operations are being handled by a dedicated entity under the supervision of the ministry, headed by Director of Rail Transport Nestor Mamitiana Raveloson.
Further plans
The service has been launched as part of a broader strategy to revitalise the railway sector nationwide. Discussions are underway with international financial partners for the rehabilitation of the Antananarivo – Toamasina corridor and the separate 160 km Fianarantsoa-Côte Est railway. The government has agreed a subsidy for the FCE route, which the ministry said is ‘not just a means of transport, but an important foundation for the development of the regions’.
