Railways in Africa
A railway in present day Gabon was first planned in 1885 but construction began almost one hundred years later in 1974. The first section from Owendo to Ndjolé was opened in 1978, remaining sections were opened in stages until December 1986. The line reached Franceville in 1987. This railway line is known as the Trans-Gabon …
The first railway line in present day Cameroon was opened in 1902, when the country was a German protectorate. The 43-kilometer line connected the towns of Limbe and Soppo. It was an industrial line with a gauge of 600 mm, operated by Westafrikanische Pflanzungsgesellschaft Victoria. According to the Wikipedia there were passenger trains also and …
Read more “Train travel in Cameroon – a general overview (2026)”
There are no passenger trains in Lesotho, but there is a short railway line from Marseilles (South Africa) to industrial part of Lesotho’s capital – Maseru and a railway station in Maseru. Within Lesotho lies only 1,6 km of the line. The railway line was completed in October 1905, on 18th December 1905 was opened …
Probably there are no passenger trains in Benin, but current situation is unknown. The first railway line in present day Benin was opened in 1906. 47 km long railway line connected port of Cotonou and Ouidah and was operated by Compagnie Française des Chemins de Fer du Dahomey. The railway line was extended to Parakou …
Nigeria has more than 4,000 kilometers of railway network of both: narrow gauge (1067 mm) and standard gauge (1435 mm). Almost all railway lines are neglected, but in 2015, the authorities announced a program for the rehabilitation of the railway network. A number of railway projects are under way. Last updated: 28.12.2023 In 1896 the …
Travelling by train in Africa is complicated. There are no passenger trains in some countries, there are no international trains (except luxury cruise trains). In several places you can to disembark from the train at border station, cross the border on your own and continue your journey from first train station after border crossing. In …