Senegal on Monday launched a new 1.3 billion U.S. dollar commuter railway meant to ease traffic gridlock and modernize a crumbling public transport system.
President of Senegal Macky Sall on Monday launched the operating phase of the Regional Express Train, or TER, which will connect the city of Dakar to the new city of Diamniadio, around 40km to the east.
It’s expected to carry some 115,000 passengers daily, according to the Senegalese authorities.
A 45-minute ride on the train will cost commuters $3, although shorter trips will be much cheaper.
Speaking at the launch, President Sall said the goal of the train is to spread out the country’s economy.
Sall said Dakar currently holds “26 percent of the Senegalese population and nearly 70 percent of the country’s economic activity”, with only “0.3 percent of the national territory”.
The TER, the first new railway since independence from France in 1960, is one of the flagship projects of the Emerging Senegalese Plan. Sall’s plans also include a new airport, roads, sports arenas and a sleek conference center. (CGTN Africa)
