On August 22, 2026, Sitarail, the International Company for African Rail Transport, welcomed members of the Association of Protocol Officers of Institutions and Ministries (APIM) to its facilities in Bobo-Dioulasso.
The visit was part of APIM’s study trip program in the Guiriko and Tannounyan regions, designed to introduce participants to the railway sector and its operations.
The day began with a briefing on the station platform, led by Sitarail’s communications officer and HSE officer, who outlined safety rules and instructions for the train journey.
Following the briefing, the group boarded a passenger train for a round-trip excursion of approximately 30 kilometers. For some participants, it was their first train ride; for others, a chance to revisit a familiar experience.
Maxime Zabsonré, protocol officer for the Ministry of Basic Education, shared his personal connection to rail travel: “It is a feeling of joy to find myself once again on the train.
For a story that might make people laugh; the first time I got on a train, I was 5 years old…
A few years later, I find myself on this train again, it is so much joy and pride as well, because this tool still exists. The train today constitutes our railway heritage from the past.”
After the ride, the visitors toured Sitarail’s railway museum, which opened in 2010 and is located within the station. The museum documents the technical and human history of rail transport in West Africa through archives, photographs, and historical objects.
The group also visited Sitarail’s mechanical workshops, described as the largest in sub-Saharan Africa, where they observed manufacturing, maintenance, and forming operations.
Bangré Béhé, protocol officer for the Ministry of Higher Education, expressed surprise at the scale of the facilities: “We are amazed. We did not know that we had here the largest railway maintenance workshop in sub-Saharan Africa.
Back in our services, we will report the information to our authorities, so that, for certain activities, rail transport can be more favored.”
Sitarail’s manager in Burkina, Alexis Ouedraogo, said the company supported APIM’s initiative and intended to continue engaging with various stakeholders.
“This visit is for us a way to support their initiative and to stand alongside all actions that contribute to the development of the railway sector.
We have already done this with the authorities and, this time with the protocol officers, we intend to continue this momentum and soon extend it to other stakeholders,” he said.
The visit concluded with a reception hosted by Sitarail at its training school headquarters.
Source: L'economiste du faso