The line is likely to run from the existing railhead at Kaya in Burkina Faso via the Niger capital Niamey to Parakou, the northern terminus of the 483km network in Benin. The line would give landlocked Niger access to ports in Benin and Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso access to a second port. The line from Kaya to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, is operated under a concession by Sitarail.