Friends of the Rail Forum

Rail in Cameroon is concessioned to Bolloré Transport & Logistics
http://www.bollore-transport-logistics. ... lways.html

Bolloré has had a humongous dummy spit with Grindrod Locomotives, have returned at least 11 leased mainline locomotives to SA, and refused to take delivery of a further 10 completed units. This does not include the little Cat engined critters that were involved in this contract (For Sitarail in Ivory Coast), advertised for sale here http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds ... p?id=17073

21 mainline locos with a value of at least US$2mil each. Throw in the critters probably US$50mil in total. This cancellation is probably what tipped Grindrod Locomotives, and caused the Grindrod Limited Bord to close the Company. Heads at Grindrod Rail rolled, pointedly Grindrod Limited CEO Alan Olivier announced his departure with effect from 31 July 2017

A more accurate news item is posted here http://www.journalducameroun.com/la-cam ... comotives/

The Cameroon railways (CAMRAIL), a subsidiary of the French group Bolloré, will have 9 locomotives, it was learned Monday at the end of the visit to Cameroon of Jay Ireland, the African president of the American holding General Electric. Which concerns the railway, we look forward to the supply of nine locomotives for the African Cup of Nations. This will help carry the spectators to watch the matches. We are very pleased with the progress of the project, "said Jay Ireland.

An announcement in a difficult context for the national railway, following the train accident on 21 October 2016 in Eseka on the Yaoundé-Douala line, causing 79 deaths and 600 injuries according to an official record.

Following this tragedy whose report published last month by President Paul Biya mainly concerns the carrier CAMRAIL.

The latter has still not resumed transporting passengers by train between the two main cities of the country, despite the appointment of the new leaders a month ago.

In this context, "the upcoming delivery of 9 locomotives is good news for Cameroon," said Transport Minister Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo'o, which should logically replace the locomotives bought in China 3 years ago. Technical deficiencies "were detected.

In addition to the delivery of locomotives in Cameroon, Genaral Electric could embark on various projects, notably in the energy, health and transport sectors.

"We will see what we can do to increase our investment in your country," said the American industrialist.


The reference "logically replace the locomotives bought in China 3 years ago" is weird, as to my knowledge there are no Chinese locos in Cameroon. However NRE supplied 6 x GT22CU-3 clones (with recycled EMD engines) in 2012, perhaps the politician is mistaking these for Chinamen?

Thanks, Mel. Your detailed and up to date knowledge of the international diesel scene is extremely helpful.

Will correct this comment "The reference "logically replace the locomotives bought in China 3 years ago" is weird, as to my knowledge there are no Chinese locos in Cameroon. However NRE supplied 6 x GT22CU-3 clones (with recycled EMD engines) in 2012, perhaps the politician is mistaking these for Chinamen?"

Apparently the passenger carriages in Cameroon arrived from China 3 years ago, so the political class also equate the locos pulling then as coming from the same source. Looks like the locos in which the technical deficiencies were detected, are the 9 from Grindrod