Senegal has launched its first ever ultra modern commuter train since it had independence in 1960, making the first journey from capital Dakar on Tuesday.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the $1.3 billion commuter train connects Dakar with Diamniadio, an industrial city being built entirely from scratch on a dusty plain about 40 kilometres (25 miles) away.
Launched by the country’s President, Macky Sall to modernise transport, the project aims to limit massive traffic jams in the West African metropolis. The 45-minute ride with built-in Wi-Fi will cost nearly $3.
The first new railway since independence from France in 1960 is a cornerstone of Sall’s Senegal emergent plan, which includes a new airport, roads, sports arenas and a sleek conference centre.
About 115,000 passengers are expected to commute daily on the train between Dakar and Diamniadio, the government said, adding that further extensions will connect the main airport and eventually other cities and towns in the coming years.
“Senegalese people deserve to travel in comfort and safety, while controlling their time, with a mass transport system that meets the best international standards,” the government said in a statement on Monday.