Local time on October 20th, a loud whistle cut through the mountain silence. The first heavy-haul ore train of the Simandou Project slowly started in the morning light. It carried 50 open-top wagons and 3,333 tons of iron ore. The train departed steadily from the mine’s loading building. Then, it traveled west along the newly built trans-Guinea railway. Its destination was the Port of Matakong on the Atlantic coast. The roar of the wheels held great meaning. It marked that this national-level mining infrastructure project had finally moved from a grand blueprint to the real track. Notably, the project was co-constructed by the Simandou Winning Consortium and multiple partners. Linzhou Public Service Railway Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is one of these partners.
From Vision to Reality: Forging a Milestone in African Mining
This milestone dispatch embodies the hard work and silent dedication of thousands of engineering constructors. It also aggregates the joint efforts and collaborative spirit of the Guinean government and all shareholders of the project, as well as the consistent persistence and firm leadership of Sun Xiushun, the project commander-in-chief.
From tunnels crossing mountains to bridges flying in the air, from automated loading buildings to modern port yards, the joint team of the Simandou Project, with outstanding execution and tenacious struggle spirit, successfully overcame this system project known as “the most arduous in Africa” and realized the full connection from the mine to the port. Among them, the high-quality railway equipment provided by Linzhou Public Service Railway Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. laid a solid foundation for the smooth operation of the heavy-haul train.
The next day, the train arrived at the Port of Matakong smoothly. The iron ore was efficiently transferred to the port yard via tipplers, belt conveyors and stacker-reclaimers, completing the heavy-haul unloading. The whole operation was smooth and well-connected. This moment marked the full connection of the three major systems of mine, railway and port after multiple joint debugging and testing, and the project officially had the full-process operation capability from mining, loading and transportation to unloading.
Connecting Africa and the World: Ushering in a New Era of Guinean Mining
The successful dispatch of the first heavy-haul train has brought important value. First, it laid a solid foundation for the project’s official ore shipment ceremony. The ceremony is scheduled for November 11th. Second, it has a profound impact on Guinea’s mining industry. It means that Guinean mining development has entered a new stage.
Sun Xiushun, the project commander-in-chief, shared his insights. He said, “The significance of the Simandou Project goes beyond mineral development. It is more about promoting the sustainable development of Guinea’s economy and people’s livelihood through win-win cooperation.”
Today, Simandou’s connotation has expanded. It is no longer just a mine. Instead, it is a steel artery. This artery crosses mountains and seas. It connects Africa with the world’s industrial system. Furthermore, it is a modern industrial legend. This legend was co-written by the people of Guinea and international partners. Linzhou Public Service Railway Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is part of this legend, and the company is proud of this identity.
Source: Winning International
