With Africa's urban population set to double by 2030 swelling over 500 million to over 1 billion inhabitants, the African continent's mobility challenges will become increasingly acute. As stated by Alstom Group, the cost implications are a result of the accumulation of various negative externalities such as time spent in traffic jams, increased carbon emissions,air pollution and accidents all of which have a significant impact on a country's Gross Domestic Product. As stated in the report, by 2030 , the potential loss could amount to more than $400 billion unless the existing transportation system's modal structure is re configured to alleviate road congestion. At present, railways make up only about 1% of traffic in African cities. The document suggests that, increasing the urban rail share to 10% by 2030 , could take approximately 10 million cars off the roads everyday. In addition to other consequences, traffic congestion also leads to increased transportation costs for passengers and higher prices for goods. According to statistics, transportation costs can account for a significant 30% of the total cost of products on the African market. The sheer scale of investments needed for railway projects is another challenge facing governments, which often face difficulties in securing funding to execute their plans and therefore opt for alternative priorities. Africa will need to invest approximately more than $ 60 billion annually to address its infrastructure deficit and develop a comprehensive rail network.

Christelle koambi