Wabtec secures US$700 million contract for Guinea’s Simandou project

Wabtec Corporation has signed a long-term services agreement worth more than US$700 million with La Compagnie du TransGuinéen (CTG) to support the Simandou iron-ore project in Guinea. This contract, which is Wabtec’s largest services deal in Africa, brings the company’s total cumulative commitment to the Simandou project to over US$1.2 billion when combined with previous locomotive orders.

The agreement is expected to span more than 14 years and covers the operation and maintenance of a fleet of ES43AC Evolution Series locomotives. These 4,500-horsepower engines are designed to handle the demanding environmental conditions of eastern Guinea. Services provided under the contract include scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, component overhauls, spare-parts management, logistics support, remote diagnostics, and workforce training.

The project involves the TransGuinean Railway, a 600-kilometre line connecting the Simandou mining zone to the Port of Morebaya. Beyond technical support, the agreement includes provisions for local workforce development and partnerships with Guinean companies to foster domestic skills.