2.4 Madagascar Railway Assessment
- The Northern railway, managed by a private company Madarail (Madagascar Railway) for the network connecting Antananarivo with Tamatave, Ambatondrazaka and Antsirabe.
There is a regular (at least daily) goods traffic between the port city of Toamasina and the capital city of Antananarivo for cargo while passenger trains are only serving Tamatave to Moramanga and Moramanga to Ambatrodrazaka lines.
Very occasionally there are special chartered trips on restored Micheline railcars for tourists.
- The Southern railway, managed by a public company FCE (Fianarantsoa Cote Est) for the south eastern network connecting Fianarantsoa to Manakara.
Page 1 The southern line has regular passenger and cargo trains, which provides a slow but picturesque alternative to the recently rehabilitated road in the region.
For more information on railway company contact details, please see the following link:
Madagascar Railway Assessment
Railway Companies and Consortia
4.2.7 Madagascar Railway Company Contact List
Northern railway*:
*During our study, Madarail was in the midst of restructuring, therefore, they did not want to share information, statistics or even contacts. All the information gathered and shared in this document comes exclusively from third parties or from data found on the internet.
Madarail, was founded on October 10, 2002 following the decision of the Malagasy State to privatize the Malagasy National Railway Network1 (RNCFM).
A concession agreement for the management of the North network is then established between the new private operator and the State. Madarail began operating the Northern railway network in Madagascar on 1 July 2003.
In 2008, the Belgian operator Vecturis, already active in eight other African countries, became the majority shareholder of the company and the new railway operator. Vecturis is investing US $ 68 million for the rehabilitation of the lines and the renovation of the railway fleet with the help of the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and other commercial banks.
In 2011, Madarail Holding became the majority shareholder, but Vecturis remains the railway operator.
In 2017, 75% of the company's capital is held by Madarail Holding and the remaining 25% by Madagascar.
Transport of Goods:
Madarail transports different types of products (dangerous goods, construction materials, quarry products, agricultural and food products, containerized products, etc.) through the North Network.
The commercial fleet includes: 17 locomotives, 260 wagons of different types. The trains make
Page 2 - 2 daily return trips between Tamatave and Antananarivo
- 2 weekly back and forth between Antsirabe and Antananarivo
Services are valid 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.
Transport of persons:
The "Dia Soa" train has been set up to serve the enclave areas between Moramanga/Tamatave and Moramanga/Ambatondrazaka.
There is also two tourist trains, the Micheline and the Trans Lémurie Express.
MADARAIL Comercial fleet
Locomotives 18
Towed Materials 260
Closed wagons 67
Flat wagons (for containers) 48
Minerals wagons 76
Tankers wagons 63
Dumpers 6
Southern railway:
The Fianarantsoa-East Coast line, or FCE, is a Madagascar public company attached to the Ministry of Transport with an autonomous management. The railway line connecting the city of Fianarantsoa to the eastern coast of the island, and more specifically to Manakara, which is also located in the province of Fianarantsoa.
It is 163 km long, passes through seventeen railway stations, sixty-five bridges and forty-eight tunnels including Ankarapotsy’s wich is 1,074 m. The government estimate the number of peoples depending directly on the railway to be more than 100’000, with economical, schools and medicals services.
Page 3 Transport
The FCE is transporting passengers and cargos but according to the director, the main focus is for the passengers.
FCE Comercial fleet
Locomotives 2
Towed Materials 24
Cargo wagons 19
Passenger wagons 5
Transport of Cargo:
Type of train Trips Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
From Fianarantsoa - X Cargo wagons Shuttles between intermediate stations - X
The FCE transports different types of products, it generally bring agricultural and food products from the eastern side to Fianarantsoa, while on the other way, it is carrying first necessity items, food, construction materials.
There is one train a week dedicated to the transport of good from Fianarantsoa to Manampatrana (4 hours and back) which is more or less the half of the line. It habitually tow three cargo wagons – 105 tons total
Transport of persons:
Type of train Destinations Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Fianarantsoa - Manakara - X X Passengers (with cargo wagons) Manakara - Fianarantsoa - X X
Page 4
- From Fianarantsoa to Manakara (departure 07.00) – 10 to 15 hours - From Manakara to Fianarantsoa (departure 06.45) – 10 to 15 hours
Maintenance
Railways: The rehabilitation and renewal is done by the FCE after the budget is allocated by the ministry of transport.
A special team in charge of railways, building and civil engineering which ensures this maintenance depending to the dilapidation as well as the instability of the materials of the track (rails, sleepers, platforms).
Maintenance of rolling stock:
The maintenance of the rolling stock is subcontracted to Madarail and its Material Department (DMAT).
For towing material:
-Systematic inspection at each re-entry of all rolling stock at Depot,
-Reduced visits: every 15 days (locomotive, Draisine, Micheline),
-Full tour: every 60 days,
-Half-yearly visit: every 180 days
For trailer material:
-Reduced visits every 6 months,
-Full visit every 12 months,
-General review every 3 years.
List of FCE stations
Fianarantsoa – Stations with operational storage facilities Manakara
FIANARANTSOA X
VOHIMASINA X
SAHAMBAVY
AMPITAMBE
RANOMENA
ANDRAMBOVATO
MADIORANO
TOLONGOINA X
MANAMPATRANA X
IONILAHY
MAHABAKO X
FENOMBY X
Page 5 SAHASINAKA X
MIHIZILO
MANAKARA
Maintenance
Railways: The rehabilitation and renewal are carried out by SOMATRAFER, and are supervised and controlled by the DVOAB (Département Voies, Ouvrage d’Art et Bâtiment).
Maintenance of rolling stock:
The Material Department (DMAT) ensures the totality of the revisions and maintenance of the machines in their own workshops.
Engine equipment (locomotives), towed trains (wagons) and working machines (railway, locomotives, etc.) are revised and visited at a defined frequency:
Locomotives every 480 000 Km General revisions every 180 000 Km After each trip Main service Systematic visits
Towed Materials General Revisions every 6 years every 3 years Main service every 50 000 Km Systematic service After each trip Frequent service
Other machines General revisions every 3 years Main service every 9 years Systematic visits After each trip
Railroads and facilities
The Réseau Nord is composed of three lines of 673 Kilometers, 300 bridges, 35 tunnels and 1 892 curves.
Line Kilometres Bridges Tunnels Curves
Tananarive-Côte Est (TCE) 372 km 147 28 1 370
Moramanga-Lac Alaotra (MLA) 142 km 109 0 334
Tananarive-Antsirabe (TA) 159 km 44 7 188
TOTAL 673 km 300 35 1 892
Open Stations:
Open Stations 28
Page 6 Rehabilitated stations 24
Renewed Ways 195 Km TCE 146 Km MLA 32 Km TA 17 Km
Rehabilitated ways 327 Km TCE (All lines) MLA TA
Performances
The last figures (2014)
Tonnage (T) 326 420
Tons / Kilometers (TK) 122 335 487
Rate of availability of 64,12%
locomotives
Market share of 19%
rail transport
Numbre of passengers 131 301
List of all Madarail stations
Toamasina - Toamasina - Moramanga Moramanga - Morarano Chrome Antananarivo
TOAMASINA TOAMASINA MORAMANGA
MANANGAREZA MANANGAREZA AMBOHIDRAY
VOHITEZA VOHITEZA ANDAINGO
ANKAREFO ANKAREFO VOHIDIALA
ANDRANONKODITRA ANDRANONKODITRA MORARANO CHROME
AMBILA LEMAITSO AMBILA LEMAITSO AMBATONDRAZAKA
BRICKAVILLE BRICKAVILLE
ANIVORANO ANIVORANO
RAZANAKA RAZANAKA
FANASANA FANASANA
LOHARIANDAVA LOHARIANDAVA
JIRAMA PK 206 JIRAMA PK 206
AMBALAHORAKA AMBALAHORAKA
ANDEKALEKA ANDEKALEKA
AMBATOVOLA AMBATOVOLA
FANOVANA FANOVANA
AN'ALA AN'ALA
Page 7 ANDASIBE ANDASIBE
MORAMANGA MORAMANGA
ANJIRO
MANJAKANDRIANA
NANDIHIZANA
ANJEVA
SOANIERANA
SOARANO
Railroad from Toamasina to Antananarivo:
Locomotives Nb Wagons Nb capacity (MT)
AD12 series 220 4 Tanker wagons 53 45
AD 16 series 250 1 Closed wagons 62 35
AD 12 series 1200 7 Container wagons 51 40
AD 18 series 1800 5 Dump wagons (BM-TV-STV) 65 18-25-40
Stations / dry ports
Toamasina to Antananarivo
Station Capacity at the train station
Railway station name Manguier Lenght of crossing (wagons) 65
Town Toamasina Storage Capacity (Nb): Capacity (MT)
Distance to next station 250 Km Warehouse with rail siding 1 : 4,500
Time to next station 12 hours Other warehouses NO
Cost / MT (to next station) t.b.d. Security Good
Station Capacity at the train station
Railway station name Moramanga Lenght of crossing (wagons) 20
Town Moramanga Storage Capacity (Nb): Capacity (MT)
Distance to next station 122Km Warehouse with rail siding: 1 1: 1,500
Time to next station 6 hours Other warehouses: NO
Cost / MT (to next station) t.b.d Security: Good
Station Capacity at the train station
Railway station name Soarana Length of crossing (wagons) 50
Town Antananarivo Storage Capacity (Nb): Capacity (MT)
Distance to next station - Warehouse with rail siding: 7 : 15,000
Time to next station - Other warehouses: NO
Antananarivo to Antsirabe
Page 8 Station Capacity at the train station
Railway station name Soarana Lenght of crossing (wagons) 50
Town Antananarivo Storage Capacity (Nb): Capacity (MT)
Distance to next station 67 Km Warehouse with rail siding: 7 : 1,500
Time to next station 3 hours Other warehouses: NO
Cost / MT (to next station) t.b.d Security: Good
Station Capacity at the train station
Railway station name Ambatolampy Lenght of crossing (wagons) 65
Town - Storage Capacity (Nb): Capacity (MT)
Distance to next station 92 Km Warehouse with rail siding: 1: 200
Time to next station 5 hours Other warehouses: NO
Cost / MT (to next station) t.b.d Security: Good
Station Capacity at the train station
Railway station name Antsirabe Lenght of crossing (wagons) -
Town - Storage Capacity (Nb): Capacity (MT)
Distance to next station - Warehouse with rail siding: 2 : 5,500
Time to next station - Other warehouses: NO
Antananarivo to Antsirabe
Station Capacity at the train station
Railway station name Moramanga Lenght of crossing (wagons) -
Town - Storage Capacity (Nb): Capacity (MT)
Distance to next station 122Km Warehouse with rail siding: 1: 1,500
Time to next station 5.30 hours Other warehouses: NO
Cost / MT (to next station) t.b.d Security: Good
Station Capacity at the train station
Railway station name Vohidiala Lenght of crossing (wagons) -
Town - Storage Capacity (Nb): Capacity (MT)
Distance to next station 18 Km Warehouse with rail siding: NO
Time to next station 0.30 hours Other warehouses: NO
Cost / MT (to next station) t.b.d Security: Good
Station Capacity at the train station
Railway station name Morarano Lenght of crossing (wagons) -
Town - Storage Capacity (Nb): Capacity (MT)
Page 9 Distance to next station - Warehouse with rail siding: 1 : 600
Time to next station - Other warehouses: NO
List of all Madarail stations
Toamasina - Tana Toamasina - Moramanga Moramanga - Morarano Chrome
TOAMASINA TOAMASINA MORAMANGA
MANANGAREZA MANANGAREZA AMBOHIDRAY
VOHITEZA VOHITEZA ANDAINGO
ANKAREFO ANKAREFO VOHIDIALA
ANDRANONKODITRA ANDRANONKODITRA MORARANO CHROME
AMBILA LEMAITSO AMBILA LEMAITSO AMBATONDRAZAKA
BRICKAVILLE BRICKAVILLE -
ANIVORANO ANIVORANO -
RAZANAKA RAZANAKA -
FANASANA FANASANA -
LOHARIANDAVA LOHARIANDAVA -
JIRAMA PK 206 JIRAMA PK 206 -
AMBALAHORAKA AMBALAHORAKA -
ANDEKALEKA ANDEKALEKA -
AMBATOVOLA AMBATOVOLA -
FANOVANA FANOVANA -
AN'ALA AN'ALA -
ANDASIBE ANDASIBE -
MORAMANGA MORAMANGA -
ANJIRO - -
MANJAKANDRIANA - -
NANDIHIZANA - -
ANJEVA - -
SOANIERANA - -
SOARANO - -
FCE
Fianarantsoa-Côte Est
Title: Director
Name: Rakotozafy Médard
Tel: +261 20 75 513 54/55
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.FCE-MADADGASCAR.com
Passenger trains
From Fianarantsoa to Manakara
Page 10 (dep 07.00) – 10 to 15 hours Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Saturday-Sunday
From Manakara to Fianarantsoa
(06.45) – 10 to 15 hours Monday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Sunday
Three passengers wagons + 1 cargo wagon (18 tons)
Cargo trains
From Fianarantsoa to Manampatrana – 4 hours - and back Monday-Tuesday-Friday-Saturday
Three cargo wagons – 105 tons total
Fianarantsoa – Manakara
Fianarantsoa
Vohimasina
Sahambavy
Ampitambe
Ranomena
Andrambovato
Andrambovato
Madiorano
Tolongoina
Tolongoina
Manampatrana
Manampatrana
Manampatrana
Ionilahy
Mahabako
Fenomby
Sahasinaka
Mizilo
Manakara
For information on Madagascar Railway Transport Rates details, please see the following Document:
Madagascar Railway Transport Rates
For information on Madagascar Railway network contact details, please see the following link:
4.9 Madagascar Railway Companies Contact List
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