Omanghana
American rail-equipment manufacturer Wabtec Corporation has signed a long-term services agreement valued at more than $700 million with La Compagnie du TransGuinéen to support Guinea’s Simandou iron-ore project.
The agreement is Wabtec’s largest services contract in Africa. When combined with locomotive orders placed in 2024, the company’s total business connected to the Simandou project now exceeds $1.2 billion.
Under the multi-year agreement, the Pittsburgh-based company will maintain CTG’s new fleet of ES43AC Evolution Series locomotives.
The contract covers scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, component overhauls, parts management, logistics support, technical training and advanced remote diagnostic services.
Wabtec will also support local workforce development through skills training, technology transfer and partnerships with Guinean businesses.
The locomotives are powered by 4,500-horsepower Evolution Series engines designed to operate reliably in demanding environments, including the extreme temperatures and difficult conditions found in eastern Guinea.
Wabtec said the agreement would help CTG improve locomotive availability, efficiency and reliability while developing local technical capacity.
The fleet will operate on the TransGuinéen Railway, a corridor of more than 600 kilometers connecting the Simandou mining area to the Port of Morebaya.
The railway will play a central role in transporting iron ore from Simandou, which contains one of the world’s largest untapped deposits of high-grade iron ore.
Beyond mineral transportation, the line is also intended to carry passengers and non-mining freight, supporting wider commercial activity and long-term development across Guinea.
CTG Chairman Mamoudou Nagnalen Barry said the railway’s successful operation would require advanced technology, reliable support and a clear commitment to localization.
Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Geology, Bouna Sylla, said the agreement reflected the country’s ambition to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with American companies and secure advanced technology from international partners.
The deal strengthens Wabtec’s position in Africa while giving Guinea long-term technical support for one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country’s history.
Source: Omanghana
