Kinshasa train returns after 15 years to ease gridlock

Kinshasa's urban train has returned to service after nearly 15 years, giving passengers in the Democratic Republic of Congo's congested capital a rail link between the airport area and the city centre.

The sky-blue train currently makes one daily round trip through a megacity of nearly 17 million people. At Masina station, about 10 kilometres from central Kinshasa, passengers crowd into packed carriages for a journey that line manager Chadrack Walele said takes about one hour and 15 minutes.

A basic one-way ticket costs 2,000 Congolese francs, about $0.87. Second class costs 4,000 francs and first class costs 5,000 francs.

President Felix Tshisekedi officially restarted the urban train at the end of June. His office said the revived link is part of MetroKin, a planned 300-kilometre rail network supported by Africa Finance Corporation.

Walele said each train carries between 4,000 and 5,000 passengers and that the service is expected to increase from one to two daily round trips.

Some passengers welcomed the speed of the train compared with Kinshasa's road traffic, while others complained about crowding and fares. Gabriel Mfutila said the train was the fastest way to travel, but questioned how poor families could afford transport costs.