Name: How Senegal Built a Train That Took Cars off the Road
Uploaded: 2026-02-16T21:01:10.000Z
Duration: 4 min 13 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Every day, about 80,000 people pass through the gates of the Train Express Regional,

known as TER, the pride of Senegal's railway system.

Since 2021, the train has been running regularly between Dakar and Diem Niadiu,

the new science and administrative hub 36km away.

A government official used to spend over two hours a day stacking traffic.

And he's doing something good for the environment, which he values highly.

I'm not saying it will eliminate it completely, but we are already seeing fewer cars on the road.

Traffic is smoother now when you look at the highways and toll roads,

because people are using the TER and leaving their cars behind.

I think it's making a real impact on the environment.

The TER is a flagship project designed to cut Senegal's CO2 emissions by around 30% by 2030.

The country currently produces about 12 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year, and

nearly all of its transport related emissions come from road traffic.

We looked at the number of passengers using the TER and calculated the CO2 emissions we are saving.

So far, we've transported over 55 million passengers.

If you assume these passengers took the TER instead of a car or bus,

we've saved more than 150,000 tons of CO2.

And passenger numbers are rising from 17,000 a day in its first year to almost five times that amount today.

Depending on the class and destination, tickets cost between 80 cents and around €4.

When I go to Dakar to run errands, I prefer taking the TER because I need to be fast.

Before, I used to take minibuses or buses where everyone's jostling.

It's really difficult compared to the TER.

If I want to get there quickly, I take the TER to avoid traffic jams.

It's quiet, comfortable, cooler, and there's less pollution.

The TER is also committed to sustainable and efficient waste management at its 13 stations.

We've set up a waste sorting system at all our sites, in the stations, maintenance areas and on the trains.

At the stations, we have waste collectors and special transparent bins so we can monitor what's inside.

These bins are divided into two compartments for recyclable waste and non-recyclable.

But progress has also brought new challenges.

In some areas along the tracks, trash is being dumped on railway property.

To combat this, the railway operators are organizing cleanup events and running campaigns to raise public awareness.

These awareness campaigns also focus on safety.

Since we deal with a lot of trespassing on the tracks and there is the issue of sanitation.

Because people are throwing their waste onto railway property.

We are also tackling illegal dumping within our premises.

Waste management and sustainable mass transit.

The TER has proven to be a major success.

By mid-2025, the line will extend to the international airport.

The terror isn't just transporting passengers.

It's bringing big ambitions into reality.

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How Senegal Built a Train That Took Cars off the Road

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