The World Bank Group has approved $200 million in financing for the Madagascar Multimodal Transport and Logistics Project to improve the country’s transport infrastructure and strengthen its resilience to climate shocks. The initiative focuses on enhancing connectivity, safety, and efficiency across key economic corridors that support trade, food supply chains, tourism, and exports, while addressing long-standing underinvestment and damage caused by cyclones.
A major component of the project involves rehabilitating and upgrading the Tananarive–Côte Est railway, which links the capital Antananarivo with the port city of Toamasina. The plan also includes the development of a rail-road dry port and logistics platform near Antananarivo to reduce congestion at the port and improve the flow of goods between inland and coastal regions.
The project will also strengthen maritime and inland waterway infrastructure by rehabilitating the ports of Majunga and Tulear, restoring essential facilities to ensure year-round operations. In addition, around 200 kilometres of the Pangalanes Canal will be restored through dredging and structural improvements, helping reconnect coastal communities and improve climate-resilient transport.
In the aviation sector, upgrades will be carried out at regional airports in Toamasina, Fort-Dauphin, and Tulear. These improvements aim to enhance safety, security, and climate resilience, while supporting domestic connectivity, tourism, and emergency response capabilities in cyclone-prone areas.
Overall, the project is expected to benefit approximately 3.8 million people by improving access to reliable and resilient transport services. It will reduce congestion, lower transport costs, and strengthen supply chains, while improving market access for farmers, traders, fishers, and businesses across the country.
Government officials and World Bank representatives emphasised that the project is not only focused on infrastructure development but also on institutional strengthening and governance reforms in the transport sector. These reforms aim to improve service quality, ensure long-term sustainability, and encourage private sector participation.
The project complements existing World Bank investments in Madagascar’s road network, bringing total transport sector support to $1.1 billion. It also includes expected co-financing from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, reinforcing a coordinated effort to build an integrated, climate-resilient national transport system.
