Sudanese authorities have successfully resumed operations on the vital railway route linking Port Sudan in the eastern Red Sea State with Atbara in the northern River Nile State. The service had been suspended for months due to the ongoing civil conflict that erupted in mid-April 2023.
The first train departed Port Sudan on Thursday evening and arrived in Atbara on Friday, marking a significant milestone as the first railway line in Sudan to resume operation since the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began. This development is seen as a crucial step in rebuilding Sudan’s transport infrastructure amid the challenging conditions of the ongoing war.
In a statement, Transport Minister Abu Bakr Abu Al-Qasim Abdalla emphasized that this was just the beginning of a broader effort to restore Sudan’s railway services. “We are focused on reviving and expanding train operations across all major railway lines connecting cities throughout Sudan,” Abdalla stated. The government is prioritizing the restoration of essential services to facilitate mobility and economic recovery.
Musa Al-Qom Al-Jahdi, the director general of Sudan Railways Corporation, outlined the specifics of the service, noting that the train will run biweekly between Atbara and Port Sudan. The train, which is equipped with six carriages, can carry up to 432 passengers. It covers a distance of approximately 600 kilometers, taking about 12 hours to complete the journey.
The resumption of this train service is significant, as Sudan’s railway sector has been severely impacted by the ongoing conflict. Sudan Railways Corporation reports that nearly 80 percent of the country’s passenger and freight trains have been out of service since the outbreak of the civil war. Additionally, the war has led to widespread looting of railway stations and the destruction of vital infrastructure, including wooden railway sleepers, further hampering efforts to restore the sector.
The government’s push to revive the railway system is seen as an important move not only to reconnect the country’s cities but also to support Sudan’s broader efforts to stabilize the economy and improve the livelihoods of its people during the ongoing crisis.