The Bank of Congo and a Chinese export consortium were also signatories to the contract which forms part of a World Bank-backed multi-modal transport project launched in 2010 to restore SNCC's financial and operational viability following the ravages of the country's civil war. SNCC operates the 3516km 1067mm-gauge network in the southeast of the Congo Democratic Republic which is part of Southern Africa's Cape-gauge network.
In the meantime, RRL Grindrod, South Africa, has leased a mixture of former Australian and South African diesel and electric refurbished locomotives to SNCC.
