Departure of passenger trains connecting Moramanga to Toamasina is officially scheduled for today. The rail connections on this axis must be regular.
The whistles will sound regularly at the stations on the Moramanga-Brickaville-Toamasina railway axis from this day. If the trains were only used to transport goods on this axis in the Atsinanana region, travelers can now live this new train experience. The transportation of people by train ceased almost 30 years ago, but freight transportation has worked as well as it could to serve mainly inland areas. According to Madarail, regular freight trains since 2021 have served to open up the Moramanga Brickaville area, which abounds in seasonal fruits and various agricultural products. Far from National Road 2, producing areas such as Andekaleka and Ambatovolo have only freight trains to be able to connect and connect producers and consumers. Passenger trains have also temporarily resumed between Moromanga and Ambila Lemaitso, but stopped by the coronavirus phenomenon. “In the development strategy of the TCE (Tananarive Côte Est) line, it is planned to extend the freight line to Toamasina and not only between Moramanga and Brickaville. This is to expand the market for agricultural producers from inland areas to wider horizons. These localities are the main suppliers of ginger, bananas, lychees and seasonal fruits to all of Madagascar.At the same time, passenger trains will resume”, Madarail informs.
Expansion
The rail transport company reassures that the trains are technically operational and up-to-date with six new locomotives and seven refurbished ones for the entire railway network. The rails do not encounter the major problems. In 2020, rails were damaged by rockfall. “You must know that the railways in Madagascar are mountain railways. That is, they are vulnerable during hurricane periods. But Madarail immediately deploys operations to restore the railways. There are no more obstacles between Moramanga and Toamasina,” adds Madarail. The stations that connects the two districts, is prepared for the reception and departure of travelers as well as passenger cars, according to the explanations.
