An Angolan railway, Caminho de Ferro de Moçâmedes, has carried its first trainload of ore since being rebuilt, Angop reports.

The Angolan state-run news agency says a train left the southwestern Angolan province of Huíla last week on a trial journey for Angolan miner Companhia Siderúrgica do Cuchi, carrying 575 tonnes of iron ore eventually bound for Britain.

The miner has exported 24,000 tonnes of iron ore since February, the report says.

It quotes an executive of the mining company, Wilton Ferreira, as saying that the railway can carry one trainload of 900 tonnes of ore each day, or over 300,000 tonnes a year.

His company has orders from European and Asian countries for 1 million tonnes of iron ore, Angop quotes Mr Ferreira as saying.

Separately, a Chinese website, QQ News, reports that the track the trains run on was re-laid by China Hyway Group Ltd.