The government is reviving transport infrastructure

The Malagasy government presented several major projects to modernize transport across the country at a press conference held on May 28, 2025.

Railways, long neglected, are undergoing a major revival. This year, 170 kilometers of rail will be imported to bring the century-old FCE line (Fianarantsoa – East Coast) back into service. With French assistance, the FCE and TCE lines (Antananarivo–Toamasina) will be rehabilitated to triple freight transport capacity within 15 years.

The 637-kilometer-long Pangalanes Canal is also undergoing a redevelopment program. River stations and new infrastructure are being built to improve traffic on this waterway.

In the aviation sector, Madagascar is improving in international safety rankings. Toliara Airport is currently being transformed into an international airport. This initiative is part of a strategy aimed at welcoming one million tourists by 2028, up from approximately 400,000 currently.

During the conference, Transport Minister Valéry Ramonjavelo also announced the launch of the presidential “300 Buses” project. Starting next month, 42 buses, including 12 electric ones, will be put into operation around Lake Iarivo. Other major cities such as Toliara, Nosy Be, Mahajanga, Fianarantsoa, and Antsirabe will follow.

On the maritime side, the port of Toamasina is undergoing rapid expansion thanks to 411 million USD in Japanese funding. This project aims to increase annual capacity to one million containers by 2027, four times the current capacity. A similar project is planned in Mahajanga, with an estimated budget of 108 million USD.