Africa added approximately 2,000 kilometres of new railway lines between 2015 and 2024, reflecting renewed interest in rail as a driver of connectivity and trade.
This was revealed in the State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2025, published by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).
The report shows that between 2015 and 2019, countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, and Ethiopia led a wave of greenfield railway projects—new lines built on previously undeveloped land to expand rail capacity.
