Kyiap,
Great work! it's even closer than Ferkessedougou train station. It does raise the question of which will be more efficient.
If I put both below
View attachment 747789
OR
View attachment 747792
Obviously Bobo-Dioulasso is closer by 57km one way, from the route google chose, which is the fastest route (114km round trip). We could take the other route, which takes an extra 55 minutes but is only 33km longer (one way) than Bobo-DioulassoThe thing is then it becomes a question of what is cheaper to the port, either option 1 or 2.
View attachment 747795
Ferkessedougou is 250km closer to the port than Bobo-Dioulasso, I am sure COMO engineers have considered both options & discussed with Bollore to see what option is cheaper.
Knocking off 250km off the rail journey but adding 114km to the drive or the other way around???????
I know the warehousing facilities at Ferkessedougou are quite good but I also know that Bobo-Dioulasso is Burkina Faso second largest city and is seen as a small economic hub for the country. Either way I don't think we will have any issues.
Like yourself Kyiap, I was able to get in contact with a head of department for Bollore who worked in the Ivory Coast. Via email we never discussed the option of going to Bobo-Dioulasso though. I am unsure of what duties or taxes may need to be paid if we go to Burkina Faso then through the Ivory Coast. From my understanding the upgrades to make the line world class have already started.
May I also note that both options run through
Sikasso which is located 200km east of Bougouni.
Sikasso is a point of interest as a 225 KV transmission line was constructed from Ferkesseédougou in Côte d’Ivoire to Sikasso in Mali. Substations have been constructed at Ferkessedougou, Sikasso, Koutiala and Ségou.
The transmission lines project has been successfully completed in 2012. The interconnection transmission line covers a distance of 524 kms from border town of Ferkesseédougou in Côte d’Ivoire to Ségou in Mali. The transmission line has helped the Government of
Mali to import power from Côte d’Ivoire at a much lower cost.
With the PFS around the corner I think our questions on which route to take will be answered very soon!
