Fianarantsoa-Côte Est railway
Encyclopedia
The Fianarantsoa-Côte Est (FCE) railway is a colonial-built railway in southeast Madagascar
that connects the high plateau city of Fianarantsoa
to the port-city of Manakara
. It is 163 kilometers long and was built by the French between 1926 and 1936 using the forced-labor program SMOTIG. The French used rails and ties taken from Germany
as World War I
reparations to build the line. Many of the railways still have the date of manufacturing on them dating back to 1893.
This line traverses some of the most threatened habitat in the world. In 2000, back-to-back cyclone
s caused 280 landslide
s and 4 major washouts cut service for months until a rehabilitation project was launched with help from USAID, Swiss Railways and others. A study conducted by the Project d'Appui à la Gestion de l'Environnement (PAGE) in 2000 concluded that keeping the train operational helps prevent deforestation to the tune of 97,400 hectares over 20 years. Interviews conducted with villagers during the temporary closure found that they would have no choice but to cut-down their tree-based crops that they shipped to market on the railway and plant rice
or cassava
instead.
The FCE is currently running, but its aging infrastructure makes it vulnerable to service disruptions caused by broken rails, old rollingstock and landslides caused by cyclones.
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
that connects the high plateau city of Fianarantsoa
Fianarantsoa
Fianarantsoa is a city in south central Madagascar.Fianarantsoa is the capital of Haute Matsiatra Region. It was built in the early 19th century by the Merina as the administrative capital for the newly conquered Betsileo kingdoms....
to the port-city of Manakara
Manakara
Manakara is a city in Madagascar.It is the capital of Vatovavy-Fitovinany Region.The city is located at the east coast and has a small port. It is the endpoint of the Fianarantsoa-Côte Est railway , which connects the city of Fianarantsoa with the sea. For those interested in traveling to Manakara...
. It is 163 kilometers long and was built by the French between 1926 and 1936 using the forced-labor program SMOTIG. The French used rails and ties taken from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
reparations to build the line. Many of the railways still have the date of manufacturing on them dating back to 1893.
This line traverses some of the most threatened habitat in the world. In 2000, back-to-back cyclone
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
s caused 280 landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s and 4 major washouts cut service for months until a rehabilitation project was launched with help from USAID, Swiss Railways and others. A study conducted by the Project d'Appui à la Gestion de l'Environnement (PAGE) in 2000 concluded that keeping the train operational helps prevent deforestation to the tune of 97,400 hectares over 20 years. Interviews conducted with villagers during the temporary closure found that they would have no choice but to cut-down their tree-based crops that they shipped to market on the railway and plant rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
or cassava
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
instead.
The FCE is currently running, but its aging infrastructure makes it vulnerable to service disruptions caused by broken rails, old rollingstock and landslides caused by cyclones.
See also
- History of rail transport in MadagascarHistory of rail transport in MadagascarThe history of rail transport in Madagascar began at the start of the twentieth century, with the construction of a metre gauge line between Brickaville and Madagascar's capital, Tananarive . That line was the first section of the Tananarive–Côte Est railway from Tananarive to Toamasina, the...
- Rail transport in MadagascarRail transport in MadagascarRail transport in Madagascar is primarily operated by Madarail, a subsidiary of Comazar.The northern railway is currently concessioned to Madarail...